Escobar
has given readers a fictionalized account based on a true story.
Helene was a German woman who had married a Gypsy. When the Nazis
came for her husband and children in May of 1943, she insisted on
going along. She and the children went to Auschwitz while her husband was in another camp nearby.
Escobar
has done a good job giving us a sense of what it was like in the
camp. Helene was a nurse and worked with Dr. Mengele. He asked her to
run a nursery and school for the Gypsy children. Upon that framework
Escobar created a fictional account of Helene's experiences. Helen is
portrayed as quite a forceful woman, asking for many supplies for the
children. I couldn't help but wonder if that aspect of Helene was a
bit of wishful thinking by Escobar. While Helene kept a journal in
the book, none is mentioned in the historical note so I must assume
the actions of Helene and Mengele are totally fiction. That Mengele
was so accommodating to Helene just did not seem realistic from what
I have read about him.
It
was interesting to have a different slant on the period in that this
novel concentrated on the Gypsy camp and how they were treated. Dr.
Mengele's experiments were horrific as people were treated as less
than human.
This
novel will be appreciated by those wanting to learn more about
Auschwitz, concentrating on the Romany.
You
can read a sample here.
My
rating: 4/5 stars.
Mario
Escobar lives in Madrid, Spain. He has a degree in history and has
written much on the Inquisition, the Reformation and religious
groups.
The
book was translated by Gretchen Abernathy, a freelance translator
working in both Spanish and English.
Thomas
Nelson, 304 pages.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
I received a complimentary digital copy of this book from the publisher. My comments are an independent and honest review.
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