I just finished the Heroine of Auschwitz by Mark DeMeza and what an introduction to his work it was! I am definitely kicking myself for not finding his work sooner and I absolutely need to track down the first book in this trilogy.

It's common for authors of historical fiction to do research, but DeMeza clearly went above and beyond with the research for this novel. The depth of the research shines through the story, creating an indescribable sense of authenticity. As I read, I felt completely immersed, as if I was truly alongside the characters, experiencing their harrowing daily lives within Auschwitz-Birkenau. The characters themselves felt so remarkably real that their struggles and resilience leapt off every page.

If you appreciate historical fiction that doesn't shy away from the brutal realities of the Nazi regime, this is a book you won't want to miss. The Heroine of Auschwitz follows two central characters - Rachael Kisch and Ludwig Albin, as they navigate their 'jobs' in the camp. watching their seemingly separate paths intertwine was fascinating and both Rachael and Ludwig powerfully illustrate that regardless of one's role in the camp, the terror and trauma were universal.

Another standout aspect for me was the inclusion of the historical notes and the author's note at the end. DeMeza reveals the inspiration behind the stories, which truly brought the characters and their experiences to life. For me, that is exactly why I read historical fiction, to connect with the daily lives of those who endured such extraordinary circumstances.

Thank you to @NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to review an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

The author provides us with an emotional view into one of history’s darkest moments of history in one of the deadliest WWII prisoner camps. Through the main character, Rachel Kisch, the reader gets a front row seat to the strength and determination of the human spirit as the prisoners fight for survival against the most horrific crimes man has ever committed against other humans.

The Heroine of Auschwitz is a beautiful tapestry of courage, sacrifice, and the discovery that true love and compassion can also be found through the direst of situations. Throughout the story, the author weaves crisp, historical detail with heart-wrenching emotion that is coupled with elements of unimaginable loss and windows of resistance, proving that no matter what, love will overcome.

I highly encourage any lover of WWII historical fiction to pick this one up and read it! With the numerous books I have read on this genre and topic, I still gained new insight into the atrocities that took place within this extermination camp.

#TheHeroineofAuschwitz #NetGalley #historicalfiction #WWII #Auschwitz #womenheroines

When the train carrying Rachael Kisch, her younger brother, Hannes and the rest of the Dutch Jews arrives in Auschwitz, they are unaware of the unimaginable horrors that await them. Rachael is devastated when she becomes separated from her brother. She promises to find him at all costs.
Ludwig Albin is a Polish farmer sent to Auschwitz and forced to work in the impossibly cruel Sonderkommando work group. Rachael and Ludwig become friends, but are kept apart by the barbed wire fence which stands between them. As each day passes, their relationship strengthens, and, exposing themselves to life-threatening risks, they work together with the camp resistance to help their fellow inmates and thwart the SS. The presence of Otto Moll and Irma Grese, two of the most evil and sadistic SS officers in the camp, means that death is only ever a gunshot away from them all.

A story of a family shattered by war and held together by the love and bravery of one woman. I have read many historical fiction books that are set around Auschwitz, but this is one of the best. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for offering this book on NetGalley and granting my request to read it. Anyone who likes reading about WWII and Auschwitz will enjoy this book. The author develops his characters so wee and also describes with heartbreaking detail the crematoria and the prisoners who had to work there most of which I had never read about before. The book leaves you hanging as Rachel and Ludwig are on their way to look for her brother so I am looking forward to the next book in this series (at least I hope there is one and we aren't left handing!)

I

This book was very moving.
I didnt know at the time it was a second book in a series but i will go back and read it.
It tells the story of Rachael and Hannes from when they arrived at Auschwitz and how they got separated. It was an amazing book the story bought tears to my eyes.

4 1/2 stars
Set in Auschwitz this is a heartbreaking story of the lives of Rachael and Ludwig and their experiences. This book has a dual pov which I found very interesting snd gave an insight into the different jobs the women and men had to do in the camps. This was a fascinating and also hard read at times, the author goes into detail to describe the hard conditions, the horrors they endured and many more heartbreaking moments. I felt that I learnt a lot from this book. I also found the historical note at the end super interesting to read, lots of the SS in this book were based on real people.
Having read many other books set in Auschwitz I found to be one of the best and also unique thst I’ve read. I would definitely recommend this book.
The only reason that I didn’t give it 5 stars was that it ended in a cliffhanger, I assume there will be another book though, which I would definitely read.
Thank you to Netgalley for an advanced copy of this book, all opinions expressed are my own.

The Heroine of Auschwitz was very nicely done.

It was thought provoking and really helped place your mind in that time.

Thank you to NetGalley for this sad, moving but poignant novel -The Heroine of Auschwitz by Mark DeMeza in exchange for a honest review.This story revolves around the 2 main characters Rachel and Ludwig 2 prisoners at Auschwitz and their struggle for survival.Rachel works at Kanada the warehouses that storied the Nazis plundered loot while Ludwig works in the gas chambers and crematoria seeing unimaginable sights that are straight out of hell.Ludwig enlists Rachel’s help as the prisoners plan a revolt to overthrow the Nazis.The time period for this story is from late 1943 until the liberation of the camp in January of 1945 a time period where the Nazis were particularly ruthless since it became clear that they were losing the war and resorted to unspeakable measures to cover up their crimes.This novel very compelling since it offered very personal accounts of a horrific time period.

What an amazing story - once I started to read it I couldn't put it down - in fact I read it in one evening which lasted until 3am. Most of the time I had a tear in my eye or a lump in my throat as I read more about the awful things they experienced.

I hope to have the opportunity to read more of Mark's books. Thank you for the advance copy, all the view expressed are mine and are given freely..

An unforgettable, deeply emotional journey through one of history’s darkest chapters. The Heroine of Auschwitz is a harrowing yet beautifully told true story of courage, sacrifice, and the indomitable strength of the human spirit. As someone who gravitates toward historical narratives—particularly those set during World War II—I thought I had read nearly everything there was to know about the horrors of the extermination camps. But this book proved me wrong in the best possible way. I learned more than I ever imagined I could about the inner workings of the camps, the small but powerful acts of resistance, and the emotional cost borne by those who lived through it.

The author does an incredible job of balancing historical detail with heart-wrenching humanity. The scenes are vividly rendered, at times difficult to read, but always important. You feel the weight of the fear, the brutality, the unimaginable loss—and yet also the flickers of hope and connection that made survival possible. This story reminded me just how vital it is to continue telling and reading these stories. A must-read for anyone interested in history, resilience, and heroism.

Worth noting, I had not read the first book in this "series," so I look forward to working backwards and reading Part 1 of the Rachael Kisch trilogy.

Thank you to NetGalley, Mark DeMeza, and the publisher for the advanced copy of this book. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

I'm continuing my journey through historical fiction set during the Second World War — and what a powerful novel this was. Mark Demeza plunges the reader straight into the heart of Auschwitz-Birkenau, the infamous concentration camp.

We follow the story of Rachael, a young Dutch Jewish woman who is deported to the camp with her younger brother in November 1943. Upon arrival, they are separated, and the novel traces her desperate attempt to find him. Along the way, she receives help from Ludwig, a fellow Polish inmate who later becomes her companion.

This book does not shy away from the horrors of Auschwitz. The author offers unflinching descriptions of the cruelty inflicted by the SS, the horrific abuse endured by prisoners, and the inhumane conditions they were forced to survive.

I simply couldn’t put this book down. Honestly, I was desperate to know how the story would end. I wanted Rachael to find her brother. I wanted her to escape with Ludwig. A slight spoiler — that question remains unresolved in this volume. The ending is fairly open, but I like to believe that fate finally shows some mercy to our heroine.

This novel also introduced me to many aspects of Second World War history that I hadn’t encountered before. There are too many to list here, but I truly appreciated the effort the author clearly put into historical research. I value books that remain as close to historical truth as possible — that reference real events and draw inspiration from people who actually lived through them.

I must also commend the detailed and informative endnotes. They add meaningful context to the story and offer valuable insights for readers who want to explore the subject further.

“The Heroin of Auschwitz” is a heart-wrenching tale of Rachael and Hannes’s tragic separation at Auschwitz. The writing is excellent, but the horrors of the concentration camps make it tough to read. If you like historical war stories, this is a good read.

Having had strong emotions when I visited and toured the camps of Auschwitz and Birkenau, this novel brought back many memories and enabled me to envision the locale of what was depicted. There really is nothing new in this story of the harrowing experiences in the camps of a man and woman who are desperate to survive and meet each other at a fence separating the men from the women in a time frame just before the liberation of the camps. There are vivid descriptions of the atrocities and relentless violence inflicted by the Nazis and all of this compels the reader to continue reading and look forward to the conclusion in the next chapter in this series. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this novel prior to publication.

This is a heartbreaking book. It tells the story of Rachael and Hannes from when they arrived at Auschwitz and how they got separated. Rachael is picked to work in Kanada. Her position did help her and many in her camp. Then we have the story of Ludwig. He was picked to work in the Sonderkommando (SK) group to work in the crematoriums and the harsh conditions there.

This is the second book in the series but you do not need to read the first book to enjoy and understand this book.it was well written but hard to read due to the atrocities of the concentration camp. Thank you NetGalley and Mark DeMeza for the advanced copy of this book.

I didn’t realise when I started this that it was actually the second in a series. No matter, everything and everyone still made sense without the back story! However I would have liked to have read the first book, which I assume would have been about Rachael and Hannes (and perhaps Ludwig?) before their arrival in Auschwitz. It would be weird to read the first book now though because clearly I know the outcome of Rachael’s resistance work!

I thought the first Ludwig chapter came rather out of the blue, because we’d had Rachael for so long that I grew used to her story and was surprised when suddenly, without warning, we were talking about someone else! Eventually the two became intertwined but it was a little jarring at first.

This book is fictional but obviously based in truth, and it mentions several real life figures in the camp, and several real events such as the uprising of the SK and the destruction of one of the crematoria. I suspect there may be a third in the series too? But if not, I appreciate the way this one ended.

Speaking of real people, the addition of Mengele seemed strange because he had nothing to do with either Rachael or Ludwig. When we had a sudden chapter from Mengele’s POV I thought, oh no, Rachael for some reason is going to be selected for experimentation! But no, that was all we got of Mengele aside from a few brief mentions later on. It felt a bit redundant, like the author just wanted to firm up the setting or something. Or maybe there was a storyline that was edited out?

The pacing at the start also felt a bit rushed, from Rachael’s arrival to her sudden promotion to near the top of the Kanada food chain. I would have enjoyed more time spent on that journey!

Once I started this book I couldn’t put it down, even walking up extra early this morning to finish it.

The Heroine of Auschwitz by Mark DeMeza is written in third-person POV. It takes place in the time period of November 1943 to January 1945.

This is a continuation from Mark's previous book The Thirteenth Child. While some things may be fictional in their events for the flow of the story, this is an amalgamation of true events that occurred and need to be remembered to ensure that we never again carry out the genocide and harm of WWII Nazism.

It is a bit off-putting to end a book about the Holocaust with "I hope you enjoyed it!"

The Heroine of Auschwitz is Book 2 of the Rachael Kisch trilogy. Of the hundreds of WWII Historical Fiction novels I have read, this has to be one of the most moving and heart crushing I have ever experienced. No horrendous detail is omitted from the intensity of the cattle cars which transported innocent unsuspecting people to the hell of Auschwitz to the in-depth descriptions of processing prisoners to torture to starvation to murder to disposing of bodies, dead and alive. Everything at this camp was designed for maximum emotional, mental and physical pain. Degradation, humiliation and cruelty clung to the prisoners every moment of every day and night. What they suffered is incomprehensible to me. But author Mark DeMeza writes so powerfully and profoundly I had to take frequent breathers as my emotions took over. I became incredibly invested and cared deeply about the prisoners. I am in tears and revulsion as I type this, reflecting on their bravery and perseverance and the capacity of fellow humans to practice pure evil. Historical information includes Poland's annexation, the conversion of the base to Auschwitz, finding buried scrolls, murder statistics, photographing evidence, and the real-life tormentors such as Irma Grese, Josef Mengele, Rudolf Höss and Otto Moll who gave their all to ensure immense suffering.

Dutch Jews Rachael and her brother Hannes were forced to travel in a cattle car to Auschwitz. After being searched, shaved and tattooed, they were separated and Rachael was chosen to work in Kanada processing and recording gold from jewelry and teeth, flesh still attached. She was promoted to the head of administration of Kanada and used her position to help other prisoners at great personal risk. She met Ludwig Albin from north of the camp who was forced to be part of the Sonderkommando group or SK. His job was the most unbearable imaginable and decompressing was next to impossible. Conditions were grim and dire, walking skeletons untangling human hair and packing it into bales, juxtaposed with the orchestra playing and guards enjoying food. One driving force to keep themselves alive was to locate family, including Rachael's brother. Layer upon layer of sorrow rained upon the prisoners.

I appreciate the author adding the hierarchy of prisoners and the roles of captors in a glossary for further information. If only I could articulate how deeply this impacted me. This is a powerful, powerful book and ought to be required reading for everyone.

I love historical fiction, especially fiction that is set during and around the holocaust or its aftermath, and, I think this is possibly up there with one of the best I have read. It was thought provoking, evocative and left me feeling utterly bereft at times.
There were things in this book that I wasn't aware of, and, that isn't spoken about much in other fiction books around this topic and so I really loved the author for that.
If you love books that are full of rich imagery and striking descriptions then this author and this book is for you. I would highly recommend

Beautifully written book, Heartbreaking story that makes you think. Definitely recommend. This is the second book in a trilogy and I cannot wait to read the third one

This appears to be the second book in a series, but can be read alone. It gives a graphic, disturbing description of prisoners at Birkenau by following a young woman from her transport with her young brother from the Netherlands to the day the camp was closed in advance of the Russian troops. She is separated from her brother and put to work sorting discarded Jewish possessions in a slightly better situation than hard labor. She becomes involved with an ill-fated revolt at the camp. This is not a book to be read at night, or if you are in a bad mood or by anyone younger than high school, but will make you say ‘never again’.There is an incamp love interest that adds a snall bit of hope.

I had to read book 1, before this, so at least the story made sense. It was a good story line, and told from a somehwhat different point of view. I will say it was not my most favorite book, but was still a good read and I enjoyed it.