The Librarian of Auschwitz - Antonio Iturbe


When I was 10 years old, I developed a huge love for historical fiction novels. I adored reading about little girls who travelled back in time to live as orphans in London or in cotton factories during the Industrial Revolution. I have since grown out of that obsession, but I still appreciate a good historical fiction novel. That is why I picked up “The Librarian of Auschwitz”. This novel is gripping, gruesome, heart breaking and heart-warming all at once. It tells the story of one brave girl caught amidst the war who finds refuge in protecting a few surviving books for a secret school in the middle of the Auschwitz Birkenau family concentration camp.


This was quite a heavy novel. As I read, I was faced with the alarming truths of the Holocaust and the real struggles of the prisoners of WWII. The main character, Dita Kraus is the perfect protagonist. She is vulnerable and scared, yet still manages to be brave and selfless. She is growing up in a world which has not been kind to her and she still is kind to those around her. The fact that Dita Kraus is a real person and she actually had to experience this really resonated with me. I also enjoyed reading about the other prisoners and their various stories. Some had happy endings, many had sad endings. Despite this, they all showed incredible bravery. I was completely absorbed in this book as I read it. The plot moves at a good pace, while still allowing the reader to build connections with the characters. “The Librarian of Auschwitz” is a confronting story of the war with the mystery of a secret library and the struggle of living through the war.

I highly recommend this novel for anyone interested in what life was like during the holocaust. This is one of those stories that I want to read again and again. For more book reviews, keep exploring my blog. Thank you for reading this post.
-  Inkpot Blogger


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