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My Personal Review:
This book! The Stars of Our Witness by Siobhan Curham is definitely five stars from me.
I sat and read for an entire day, which I never do, but I had to find out what happened next in each chapter. I taught about the Holocaust to 8th grade students for over 20 years, so I have read A LOT of books on this topic. To be honest, I didn’t think I wanted to read any more on the topic, but I was curious about this one. I am so glad I read it.
Although the characters are fiction, each of the events in the book are based on real occurrences. After teaching about it, I was surprised to still learn so much of what happened in the Warsaw Ghetto and Auschwitz. The book focuses are three main characters, two of which are Jewish and one is Polish. I loved each of the characters, and Curham does a great job of bringing them to life. All three of the characters add to the resistance fight that is known as the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising in 1943. Each of the characters showed such bravery in their own ways.
This book touched my heart, and at times, it was hard to read. It would be a great book for discussion in a high school and/or college classroom.
Book Description:
Auschwitz, 1943. Adela stuffs small cloth pouches containing the stolen gunpowder into the folds of her dress. As she joins the column of exhausted women heading back to the barracks, the guard shouts ‘Inspection!’ and her blood turns to ice…
Working in the camp’s munitions factory, Adela Rubenstein discovers the underground network fighting against the devastating cruelty all around them. Imprisoned for teaching Jewish orphans in secret for the resistance, she doesn’t hesitate to join the rebellion. Every night on the way back to her hut, she looks up at the stars, the only witness to their plan to blow up the crematoria buildings.
The women can only smuggle a teaspoonful of the gunpowder at a time. But Adela knows from her time in the Warsaw ghetto what incredible feats can be achieved with courage and patience. Thinking of home reminds her of her darling brother, Azriel, and Izabel, who was like a sister to her. She has no idea what happened to them when she was caught, if they are even still alive. But she must keep doing whatever she can to resist. She has to make them proud.
As the day of the attack draws near, Adela is utterly stunned when she comes face to face with her beloved brother. Pale and hunched, but alive. Her heart soars as she hugs him tightly. Maybe it’s a sign, and there is hope for them after all. But not if he is working in the very building they will soon destroy…
Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and A Fire Sparkling will be swept away by this beautiful, heartbreaking read about unimaginable bravery, family ties and the power of hope when everything seems lost.
Author Bio:
Siobhan Curham is an award-winning author, ghost writer, editor and writing coach. She has also written for many newspapers, magazines and websites, including The Guardian, Breathe magazine, Cosmopolitan, Writers’ Forum, DatingAdvice.com, and Spirit & Destiny. Siobhan has been a guest on various radio and TV shows, including Woman’s Hour, BBC News, GMTV and BBC Breakfast. And she has spoken at businesses, schools, universities and literary festivals around the world, including the BBC, Hay Festival, Cheltenham Festival, Bath Festival, Ilkley Festival, London Book Fair and Sharjah Reading Festival.
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