*AD-Gifted. Affiliate links marked with a *
I’ve been enjoying lots of reading lately and this is my latest read. It’s a compelling and emotional WW2 historical novel called *Not Without My Sister by Marion Kummerow. A tale of two sisters, a young Jewish woman and her little sister who were deported to Bergen-Belsen.
The author was inspired to write this book after her visit to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp where she saw an exhibition on the children in the camp. You can read more about Marion Kummerow’s visit to Belsen and see her photos here.
Book Description
All they had left was each other. Until the Nazis tore them apart. 1944, Germany: After years of hiding from the Nazis, Rachel Epstein and her little sister Mindel are captured by the Gestapo and sent to the concentration camp at Bergen-Belsen. The only ray of light for either girl is that they are together. But on arrival they are separated. As she’s seventeen and deemed an adult, Rachel is sent to work in a brutal factory whilst four-year-old Mindel is sent into the so-called “star” camp for Jewish prisoners.
All on her own, Rachel knows her sister will have no chance of survival—unless she can find someone to take care of her. Working in the windowless, airless factory—filling munitions casings with chemicals that burn her fingers and poison her body—the only thing that keeps Rachel going is the thought of her little sister. Because if there’s even a chance Mindel is alive, Rachel knows she must try to save her. But, separated by barbed wire, and treated brutally by SS guards who do not even see them as human beings, can either of the orphaned sisters ever dare to hope that they’ll find their way back to each other? And to freedom?
What I Thought
A story of loss, sadness, and the strength of a sibling bond.
Rachel and Mindel are sisters with an age gap. Little Mindel is 4 and elder sister Rachel is a teen. One day while out foraging for food in the forest with their two brother’s they are warned not to go home as their Jewish family farm has been taken over by the Nazis and their parents taken captive.
They become separated from their brothers and end up taken captive and sent to the Bergen-Belsen concentration camp. On arrival, they are separated. Here begins the story of the siblings doing everything they possibly can to be reunited together again. They are tough girls that go through hell, but never give up hope of seeing each other again.
Not Without My Sister gives us a realistic account of life inside concentration camps, and what these poor girls went through. It was very interesting how the author included Anne Frank in the story. It will set you off on an emotional journey for sure.
Highly recommended
Where can I buy?
Publication Date 25th March 2021
Pre order at *Amazon
You can check out my other book reviews here.
