What an absolute amazing book. I could not put it down. Easily five stars. Recommending to everyone!

This book was great and one that I wish I could reread again for the 1st time. This novel could be read on its own, however it is book 3 in a trilogy and I would recommend reading the first two before beginning this one.... just because of the character development, etc. If you love WW2 novels you will immediately fall in love with this one for sure. I highly recommend it to anyone.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Book 3 of 3 - Based on a true story as Auschwitz closes. The story is heartbreaking and heartwarming at the same time. I loved it and highly recommend it!

A Long Way home is the amazing conclusion the The Rachel Kisch Trilogy. The series was filled with details, including graphic descriptions of the horrors that Rachel and those around her experienced. World War Two was a very challenging time for the Jewish community. I was excited for A Long Way Home when they would all be free.

The story details Rachel's journey on the March from Auchwitz to Dachau. The author's details had me believing I was there. The smells, the torture, the illness, the lack of sanitation, the gun shots and the loss of life tore at my soul. I can't remember reading another Historcal Fiction story recently that had me transported to the horrors that when I closed the book the concept remained. I was given a miniscule glimpse of what the prisoners must have experienced their whole lives even when they were supposed to be free.

I realized that at the end of the war they were not free. The Allies may have stepped on the grounds of the extermination and concentration camps but the Jewish people and other prisoners were not free. The were controlled my hunger and disease. They were not free. They were soon controlled by the demands for order as the allies sending them home. They were not free. They returned to a town they didn't not recognize and left to stand in long lines. They were not free. They went home to the place they grew up in, only to find someone else lived in their home. They were not free to enter their home. It was up to previously interned to prove ownership, that took time, with no shelter to call home. They were free.

Read The Rachael Kisch Trilogy. Obsorb The Rachael Kisch Trilogy. Remember The Rachael Kisch Trilogy. Never forget The Rachael Kisch Trilogy and so many stories like it. It cannot be repeated.

A Long Way Home by Mark deMeza is the third book in the Rachael Kisch trilogy. As the war is coming to an end, we find the US and Russians coming very close to liberating the German camps. We find the Nazis scrambling to hide the atrocities they have committed by moving or exterminating those being held captive.

Rachael and her family, being Jewish, were captured and sent from the Netherlands to camps in Poland and elsewhere. Rachael was in Auchwitz and is forced to march to Dachau as the Nazis try to avoid their capture. She had been separated from her brother Hannes early on and believes he is in Dachau. She is a very strong and determined women and was in hopes of locating her brother when she arrives there.

The book goes into great detail of the harsh and inhuman treatment of the prisoners in the camps. It also goes into detail about their treatment when being moved from Auchwitz to Dachau, and the march they are forced to take as the liberators come very close. At times it is very distressing to read the descriptions of what they endured. I also found it interesting to read about their further endurance at the hands of the US once liberated. There are many books written about treatment of prisoners during WWII but not much about what happens to them afterward.

I felt that the book was well written and provided a good deal of information about the aftermath of captivity. I have not read the first 2 books but did not feel it was a hindrance reading this one first. Thank you Net Galley and The Book Whisperer for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

The final book in the Rachael Kisch trilogy finds Rachael leaving Auschwitz and joining the death March to Dachau where she hopes to find her brother, Hanes. When the war is finally over and she ostensibly leaves the horrors behind, she meets new obstacles in the Netherlands; famine among them. But Rachael is determined to honor her legacy as a Jew. Highly recommended for all public libraries

Having read many books with a holocaust theme, I found this book only mildly interesting. There was nothing new in the depiction of the rides in boxcars, treatment by guards, life in barracks, starvation, etc. Of course, the book had a happy ending since the timeline was in 1945 as the war was coming to an end. I thank NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read the conclusion of Mr. DeMeza’s trilogy in exchange for an hour review.

As someone who enjoys WWII historical fiction novels, my favorite thing about this piece was the timeline of events. While this book is the third in a series, I truly appreciated the specific attention this book had on discussing the Marches from Auschwitz. Oftentimes I find that WWII historical fiction novels focus solely on the events leading up to and time spent in ghettos and concentration camps, and leave out an important part of the history of those liberated. I truly felt that I understood the challenges faced by the characters, and the people that had these real life experiences. I appreciate the author's ability to teach me a new perspective on this time in history and gave me the opportunity to explore the contrasting feelings of hope and despair these individuals endured. I oftentimes found myself highlighting passages and reflecting on the internal struggles each character faced. From Rachel’s desire to continue to do the morally right thing despite the dire circumstances, to SS officers continuing to cover their heinous crimes, the juxtaposition of each character's driving force was unlike anything I’ve read before.

While this piece is part of a trilogy, the storytelling of this book tells a complete story and could be read as a standalone book. Its attention to detail in sharing each character’s perspective makes the reader become immersed in the story. Throughout the book I constantly found myself cheering for the different characters and the success they found while witnessing some of the world’s worst atrocities. As I continued through the story, I was reminded of all of the aspects of this tragedy not truly known, and the importance of art like this in spreading the message. I will be recommending this book to everyone I know, especially those with a special interest in historical fiction. With this book more people can learn and be exposed to the information of this time period so often forgotten about.

Mark once again guides you through a story that feels heartbreaking and important. this is my favourite era of book from the genre. WW2 is something i have been interested in for decades so every opportunity to read more from it is a favourite choice. and oh my i was just taken to the darkest depths of the soul with this one. to read once again what was done to the Jews, well it shouldn't but never gets easier to fathom. you cant explain evil and nor should we look to try. instead we still need to read this for the victims. we still need to read this to learn. we still need to read this because it should never ever have happened and we owe it to all those who were taken from us, who still are effected by this. and also its never actually felt more important sadly. in today's world their are scary rumblings and these books should solidly remind us where evil lurks and where it goes far too easily.
this book takes us right into the deadly march to Dachau. where so many were once again lost. and Rachael with her need to keep strength or belief that she might find her brother. and our gulps as a reader with each moments she treads.
to think of what the Germans put these poor people through. to read just a smidgen of it even in books can feel far too much for the soul or head to comprehend. but it did happen. and we must read it over and over to keep these people in our memories and please please start learning!
this book so delicately but deftly follows all the way through and beyond to "freedom" and what that actually meant for those freed.
because the suffering really,sadly didn't stop there. neither did their bravery. i didn't indeed cry for them. and then felt angry at myself as what did my tears mean. but its all i could give at this time. my sorrow that this ever happened and the continued ripple long after.
Mark handled this subject matter in a way that was both real, informing and a story told. but also without making it feel too much. which seems also bad to say it should be made so for us readers, like somehow we need it softened to be palatable. i didn't mean that. but you know when a story crafted like this helps it settle in all the more, whilst still getting to the heart of it all.
this was such an amazing read. i couldn't look away. i didn't want to. and it made me once again go research more about their lives afterwards.
such an important read too. more so now than ever it seems.
beautiful yet harrowing and always needed.

This is book 3 in the Rachael Kisch Trilogy and can be read as a standalone like I have but if you want more of Rachael's story then I suggest reading the first two books first. It is set in 1945, it is all about the Death March where the Jews did not know where they were being led and what would happen to them. In such awful conditions it makes you appreciate what you have. I did feel very sad for them all and it was also sad to read the statistics that are covered at the end of this very powerful read. You just cannot ever imagine what these poor people went through. It is such an emotional and heavy read that I had to read it in chunks. It was a lot to take in. It follows Rachael and we see where her journey goes and I was really hoping as she is such a strong woman that she would survive. A good story with a powerful ending.

I struggled with the first part of this book and didn’t think I would continue. I’m certainly glad I did. I even plan to read more by this new to me author. My favorite time period besides Biblical is WWII. Though I’ve read countless of books during this time frame, I still learned quite a bit. I loved the character of Rachel. Her grit and perseverance are remarkable. This novel was well researched and paced perfectly. Highly recommend.

I was blessed with an ARC. Thank you NetGalley. The opinions expressed are my own and unbiased.

A Long Way Home by Mark deMeza is a heartfelt and reflective read that explores resilience, identity, and the meaning of home. The storytelling is emotional without being overwhelming, and the characters feel grounded and relatable. While a few parts moved a bit slowly, the overall journey was engaging and rewarding. A thoughtful, well-written story that stayed with me after I finished! Thank you!!🫶🏻

In the third book of the Rachael Kisch Trilogy we find the Russians approaching Auschwitz, and Rachael along with thousands of other prisoners being taken on a deathly forced March from Poland all the way to Dachau in Germany. A march that thousands would not live to see the end of, although Rachael feels an element of hope in the march as she hopes it will take her to her brother who she thinks is in Dachau, if still alive. Despite their dying days the Nazis in the book show no end to their depravity and inhumanity in the ways they treated the Jews and other prisoners, if anything it seems to heighten these.

As with any books covering this theme the book is far from easy to read but it is so important that these books are read so that the millions of lives brought to a merciless early end are not forgotten. The inhuman treatment of fellow humans just beggars belief and if we see current world events it seems to go on and on even in today’s world and this is the depressive element when reading these books. We do not seem to be learning from history and seem to be repeating mistakes.

What I loved most about this book is the way that it not only covers the march and their time in the new camp, but also the rescue by American forces and the impact it had on them, as well as the impact it had on prisoners after they were ‘freed’ from the concentration camps. Whilst they may have been out of the concentration camp their suffering went on both psychologically and in real terms, especially in the way they were treated for example by society and by people who had taken over their houses.

I felt the end of the book was superbly written and there is much too we can learn from these events. It was made even more meaningful by the reference to the author’s linked family, who all were killed in 1942 and 1943.

This book can be read as a standalone but is much better read following the other books in the trilogy. I do highly recommend the whole trilogy which was very well written overall.

My thanks to Net Galley, Book Whisperer, and tte personal invitation I received to review this arc.

This is the continuation of the journey of Rachel Kisch from Auschwitz to Dachau to find her brother Hannes.

Excellent and well written. Held my interest. Highly recommend

While I have read several WWII/Holocaust books over the years, this one I felt took a bit of a different twist to the "story". After getting through the horrible situations the Jewish people encountered in the concentration camps, this story then took a twist and began to share how the US soldiers felt as the camps were liberated. How they felt seeing the conditions the folks had to endure. Once back on their homeland, it also talked about how the Jewish people endured and tried to begin their lives over. While it is a similar story, I enjoyed the different point of view the author took on.

What a story! I have followed this series from the beginning of the "Rachael Kisch Trilogy" by Mark deMeza. You can read them out of order, they are free standing. This book takes the reader on a journey of emotional ups and downs. Even if the reader is familiar with the whole story of the Holocaust, Mark guides the reader through the novel tastefully and accurately. Thank you for that. It is a story of hardships, endurance and resilience. Rachel risks everything to make sure that those responsible are brought to justice - her sacrifice is inspiring.
When I began reading it was difficult, once again, to put the book down. As the reader, I felt that I was there living through this journey too. The story is fast paced and slow paced, just as the journey would have been. The characters are real and their situation believable and strong. I am so glad to have shared this journey and I am sure that everyone who takes the time to read this will feel the same. Thank you for writing this story. I look forward to reading more of your stories.
I have enjoyed this series and would fully recommend that you read this trilogy. Thank you Mark deMeza for writing this awesome book, Thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

I wasn't aware that this is the 3rd book in a series (I tend not to look up ARC books to avoid bias), so I went into reading without any context or background knowledge.
What a book....It is most definitely not for cosy afternoons and for times when you are not emotionally strong and steady. As someone else said it in a review, I too had to stop sometimes just to clear my head and process the book.
Most books I've read about the Holocaust usually cut the story when the narrator / main character dies or at the liberation, I don't think I've ever read a book that discussed life of the survivora after they returned home.
And honestly, what kind of life you can have after the horrors of a concentration camp? Is there anything that you can salvage of your original self? Is there a way to piece together any kind of normalcy? This story is heartbreaking, it makes you think very hard about the fragility of life, about the resilience that these people did not chose but having no other choice, their survival depended on it.
I highly recommend this book to anyone who is strong enough to endure it but be prepared you will need recovery after reading it.

Thank you NetGalley and the author for an ARC.

Full review is available on GoodReads under my profile

A Long Way Home by Mark deMeza is the last in the phenomenal Rachael Kisch trilogy, one of the most memorable and moving series I have ever read. Based on the true story of the author's family members who were murdered by the Nazis during World War II, the story is full of tragedy, anguish, unspeakable despair and hopelessness. Yet the resilience of of survivors is incomprehensible.

Rachael Kisch has survived death many times during the war, including extreme camp conditions, cattle train horrors, agonizing death marches and murder all around her. As she had experience in printing, she was forced to create fake ID cards for officers shortly before liberation. Dachau is plays a big role in the story and was the template for subsequent concentration camps. Extermination camp Auschwitz finally falls in 1945 and the remaining prisoners were forced on death marches during the winter with no food or water. Though surrounded by snow, scooping it up resulted in certain death. However, a few used their spoons surreptitiously to gather precious snow from the person ahead of them. Rachael did everything she could to help her ill friend. When American liberators reached Aushwitz, they could not grasp what they were seeing. Photographers and journalists documented in a state of shock. "Walking dead" shuffled, hardly the eagerness liberators expected.

Rachael and others were taken to the American Red Cross followed by a transit house before returning to Amsterdam which, after the war, was still a terrible place for Jews.

The author makes it clear that testimonies and witnesses were absolutely critical to bring some (comparatively few) torturers and killers to justice. I am grateful that stories like this are written and kept alive for this and subsequent generations. The afterword and author's afterword are fascinating and heartbreaking with personal poignancy.

This powerful book is beyond words. Every reader ought to read it and reflect.

A Long Way Home written by Mark DeMeza. An amazing and unforgettable WW2 novel, inspired by a true story. This book is the final book of the 3 book series of The Rachael Kisch Trilogy. We follow the hardships of Rachael Kisch as she marches from Auschwitz to Dachau. The death march took many lives but Rachel must hang on to find her brother Hannes. She is forced to work for the enemy printing false ID cards so that the murderers can escape justice. Will the Allied troops arrive before its too late? Will she find her brother? Find out by reading this well thought out series.

Wow, the final book of Rachael Kisch and everything that she has had to endure during WWII is just beyond heart wrenching. This book was really good. I stayed up way too late to make sure I could finish this book. The author did a fantastic job with this book series

A very difficult read. I felt like i was living the same lives as these characters and thats how i can tell that its a good book.

Im happy to have read this book. A definite recommend.

Thank you to Book Whisperer and NetGalley for the ARC. All thoughts are my own

Set during ww2 this book is mainly about Rachel’s journey from Auschwitz to Dachau just before the war ends. The horrors and horrific conditions of that journey and the concentration camps is very descriptive and paints a very clear picture of the horrors they endured. This is written from the PoV of Rachel ~ a Jew in Auschwitz, an SS officer overseeing the run of the concentration camp and towards the end of the book an American soldier who helps liberate Dachau. I found it so interesting to read from these POVs and it was obvious that this book had been well researched. I also found it fascinating to read about life after ww2 and how the concentration camp survivors struggled to move on and live a normal life. I appreciated the historical note at the end which included that many of the characters were based on real people.
Definitely recommend this book.

The 3rd in the series but also stands alone. Rachel’s journey to find her brother and family, she is taken on a March from Auchwitz to Dachau where she things her brother was taken. It’s a heartbreaking real story that needs to be told.

This book was intense! It’s short enough that I could have finished it in a day, but I had to take a bit of a brain break because it was so heavy. It’s the third in a series but it’s not necessary to have the backstory to be honest, it works well as a self contained story. (I’ve read book two but still haven’t read book one!)

The first part is basically a day by day account of the match from Auschwitz to Dachau, and then when we reach the camp it’s a very detailed account of the finale few weeks. I liked how we saw both the prisoners’ and the guards’ sides, and especially seeing the guards scrambling to cover their tracks and get themselves false IDs for the future, and how the prisoners work quietly to thwart this. And it’s also very interesting to see what happened to everyone immediately after liberation and how “going home” isn’t really that straightforward.

A beautiful and heart moving third installment of the series. The journey home for Racheal is hard and heartbreaking. The story is well researched and thought about, hard to read emotionally but very well paced and beautifully written

A truly remarkable story of courage and resilience during a horrendous time in history! Could not put it down. Would definitely recommend.

A Long Way Home
I have not read the first 2 books in the trilogy ( this was a prepub review copy), but I plan to, and this volume was understandable on its own. Other Holocaust nightmare books have concentrated on the hiding, hunting, and capture of the victims; this one described the journey of one young woman and her brother after captivity from Auschwitz to Birkenau to Dachau. The prisoners sometimes walked, sometimes rode in open train cars so crowded they could not sit or lie down until some of the occupants had died and been thrown out of the cars. Often no bread or water was provided, or no buckets to collect waste. In the final camp, Rachel worked as part of a group to create (faked) IDs for the SS officers to try to evade punishment, and managed to create other ways to sabotage the Nazis when the Allied troops appeared. The book ends with a description of what awaited the Dutch refugees as they are helped to return home.
Everyone too young to have experienced WWII (which now is most of us) ought to read at least one historical novel about the Nazi horrors so we can repeat “never again”.

"A Long Way Home" is the final book in the "Rachael Kisch Trilogy" by Mark deMeza. This book is WWII historical fiction, somewhat based on Mr. deMeza's own family history. This book follows Rachael during 1945 - the final year in WWII. Things are rough for both the Germans (many seem to see the handwriting on the wall) but, more importantly, for those in the concentration camps. Mr. deMeza, I think, handled the horrors in the camps in a very humane, yet accurate, manner. There are horrors explained, but they're not gratuitously described. What I liked a lot in this story was the history after the war ended - life didn't just "go back to normal" for those in the camps - they were now displaced people, back in society, but not quite "back" in society. I thought that section was described very well. What I wasn't as much a fan about was some of the historical (or historical-based) people's sections - I got a number of the SS people confused, especially in the middle and while I think it gave the overall story balance, at times it felt detracting from Rachael's story, which I found more interesting. However, this book nicely finished the trilogy, so this book was a satisfying ending.

A heartwarming and emotional journey from Auschwitz to Amsterdam and a young woman trying to rebuild her life.

This novel tells an interesting story, not so much written about. Indeed, set at the very end of the Second World War, the focus is put on what happens to "displaced persons", that is people who have survived concentration camps. The reader gets a powerful insight of their striving towards their freedom. This was not straight forward: first, more camps with medical assistance, food... Then, their long journey home while constantly seeking for family members (did they survive?). When they do get home, other questions arise: what happened to their house, where are they going to live, as well as how do they deal with their ferocious past?
A great read based on real facts.
I received a digital copy of this novel from NetGalley and I have voluntarily written an honest review.

A Long Way Home is a deeply moving and powerful conclusion to the Rachael Kisch Trilogy. While the novel does not shy away from the brutal realities of World War II, what stayed with me most was Rachael’s resilience — her determination to survive when everything around her was designed to break her.

Set in the aftermath of Auschwitz’s liberation, the story follows Rachael as she is forced onto the deadly march to Dachau while the Allies advance. Though physically weakened and emotionally scarred, Rachael’s inner strength never fades. Her will to live, to endure, and to hold onto her humanity becomes the heart of this story. Even in moments of unimaginable cruelty, her hope drives her forward.

Mark deMeza masterfully shows that survival did not end with liberation. Rachael’s journey after the camps is just as important as what she endured within them. The novel explores how survivors carried trauma, grief, and loss into a world that expected them to simply move on. Rachael’s struggle to rebuild her life, reclaim dignity, and find meaning again is portrayed with honesty and compassion, making her resilience all the more powerful.

What makes this book unforgettable is how it transforms history from statistics into lived experience. Through Rachael, we are reminded that every survivor was a person with dreams, fears, and incredible strength. DeMeza’s meticulous research grounds the narrative in truth, while his storytelling ensures we feel every step of Rachael’s journey.

Heartbreaking, hopeful, and profoundly human, A Long Way Home is not only a story of survival — it is a testament to resilience, memory, and the enduring strength of the human spirit.