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La sage-femme clandestine
Alors que la guerre fait rage en Pologne occupée, Emilia est l'une des rares personnes à pouvoir aller et venir librement. En tant que sage-femme, elle bénéficie d'une précieuse liberté pour pouvoir se rendre auprès de ses patientes enceintes. Emilia a aussi un secret : elle met aussi au monde des enfants juifs qu'elle évacue ensuite grâce à la Résistance. Jusqu'au jour où elle est trahie et déportée à Auschwitz. Dans cet univers d'une infinie noirceur où règnent la faim, le froid et la mort, on lui demande de redevenir sage-femme. Sans aucun médicament, avec simplement un peu d'eau et quelques chiffons, elle aide les détenues à accoucher. Et Emilia se rend compte qu'elle peut faire plus. Elle élabore un plan qui va permettre de sauver ces enfants ayant eu la malchance de naître au milieu de l'enfer. Un plan qui apporte aux mères une petite lueur d'espoir mais qui, s'il était découvert, pourrait la condamner à mort...
325 pages, Kindle Edition
First published August 1, 2023
3148 people are currently reading
14983 people want to read
About the author
Soraya M. Lane
124 books2,091 followersSoraya M. Lane is the Amazon Charts & Kindle #1 bestselling author of THE SECRET MIDWIFE and THE ITALIAN DAUGHTER.
Soraya is thrilled to be publishing four new novels in 2025. Soraya has two new historical WWII novels, THE PIANIST'S WIFE and THE SECRET LIBRARIAN, and they're both available now. Soraya has also published two more books in her Lost Daughters series. Book #6, THE SPANISH DAUGHTER, was published in March and book #7, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, was published in October.
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance and women's fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and two sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.
Add Soraya's latest novel, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, to your Goodreads shelf today!
For more information about Soraya, her books and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor. She would love to hear from you.
Soraya is thrilled to be publishing four new novels in 2025. Soraya has two new historical WWII novels, THE PIANIST'S WIFE and THE SECRET LIBRARIAN, and they're both available now. Soraya has also published two more books in her Lost Daughters series. Book #6, THE SPANISH DAUGHTER, was published in March and book #7, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, was published in October.
As a child, Soraya dreamed of becoming an author. Fast forward more than a few years, and Soraya is now living her dream! Soraya describes being an author as "the best career in the world", and she hopes to be writing romance and women's fiction for many years to come.
Soraya loves spending her days thinking up characters for books, and her home is a constant source of inspiration. She lives with her own real life hero and two sons on a small farm in New Zealand, surrounded by animals and with an office overlooking a field where their horses graze.
Add Soraya's latest novel, THE HIDDEN DAUGHTER, to your Goodreads shelf today!
For more information about Soraya, her books and her writing life, visit sorayalane.com or www.facebook.com/SorayaLaneAuthor, or follow her on Instagram @SorayaLaneAuthor. She would love to hear from you.
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June 7, 2023The topic of Auschwitz deserves to be treated with the utmost sensitivity, and as an author it was a daunting prospect to write about it. When I first came up with the concept for this book, it was my editor Victoria who gave me the confidence to write it.
I was worried not only about the subject matter, but in my ability to write a story that balanced the horrors of Auschwitz with a sense of hope – that even in the midst of such atrocities, some people did live to tell their stories of what happened at the infamous camp. Their tales of survival are exceptional, and creating a fictional story inspired by history felt like a terrifying prospect.
In all honesty though, the moment I started writing, I knew it was a story that I needed to tell – these characters felt so special and real to me! I never forget my characters, even years later I still think of them sometimes, but I know that Emilia, Lena and Aleksy in particular will stay with me in a way that others have not. Their story was steeped in such tragedy, but something about the way they revealed themselves to me, the way they spoke to me, feels truly unique.
I was worried not only about the subject matter, but in my ability to write a story that balanced the horrors of Auschwitz with a sense of hope – that even in the midst of such atrocities, some people did live to tell their stories of what happened at the infamous camp. Their tales of survival are exceptional, and creating a fictional story inspired by history felt like a terrifying prospect.
In all honesty though, the moment I started writing, I knew it was a story that I needed to tell – these characters felt so special and real to me! I never forget my characters, even years later I still think of them sometimes, but I know that Emilia, Lena and Aleksy in particular will stay with me in a way that others have not. Their story was steeped in such tragedy, but something about the way they revealed themselves to me, the way they spoke to me, feels truly unique.
July 28, 2023
1995: On the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz the London news appeals for any information about the identity of a brave Polish midwife who save hundreds of lives and has never been found. Listening is an elderly woman and her daughter and she is shocked when her mum declares she is the person they are looking for.
1942: Emilia like her mother before her is a midwife, she attends the women in her Polish village and she cycles through the German check points and it’s the perfect cover. Hidden in the area are pregnant Jewish women, she includes them in her rounds, her father is worried she’s taking a huge risk and sure enough someone betrays her.
Emilia finds herself aboard a train, she has no idea where she is going and her destination is a concentration camp called Auschwitz-Birkeneau. On arrival Emilia is stunned by the SS guards yelling at them to get off the train, their German Shepard dogs snarling and snapping, everyone is put into different lines and she can see emaciated people wearing what looks like stripped pajamas. Emilia starts the long and degrading process of her incarceration in Auschwitz.
The next day she’s sent to work as a midwife, she’s horrified by what she witnesses, she’s saved from being severely punished by Doctor Aleksy Gorski. Emilia, Doctor Aleksy and her new friend Lena come up with a dangerous plan, to save as many pregnant women and babies as they can and with the hope that one day they will be reunited.
The dual timeline narrative isn’t easy to read, the Holocaust was brutal and inhumane and nothing is left out. Even worse was the treatment of young innocent teenage girls, pregnant women and newborn babies.
I received a digital copy of The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Lane uses as a basis for her latest outstanding historical fictional story, the real life written testimonies of a Polish doctor, midwife, a gynecologist and what they did while prisoners at Auschwitz.
They wanted to save as many women and babies as they could and they also wanted to world to know what happened in the camp and for the perpetrators to be made accountable. An emotional and heartbreaking story about Auschwitz, one that will stay with me for a long time, it moved me to tears and five stars.
1942: Emilia like her mother before her is a midwife, she attends the women in her Polish village and she cycles through the German check points and it’s the perfect cover. Hidden in the area are pregnant Jewish women, she includes them in her rounds, her father is worried she’s taking a huge risk and sure enough someone betrays her.
Emilia finds herself aboard a train, she has no idea where she is going and her destination is a concentration camp called Auschwitz-Birkeneau. On arrival Emilia is stunned by the SS guards yelling at them to get off the train, their German Shepard dogs snarling and snapping, everyone is put into different lines and she can see emaciated people wearing what looks like stripped pajamas. Emilia starts the long and degrading process of her incarceration in Auschwitz.
The next day she’s sent to work as a midwife, she’s horrified by what she witnesses, she’s saved from being severely punished by Doctor Aleksy Gorski. Emilia, Doctor Aleksy and her new friend Lena come up with a dangerous plan, to save as many pregnant women and babies as they can and with the hope that one day they will be reunited.
The dual timeline narrative isn’t easy to read, the Holocaust was brutal and inhumane and nothing is left out. Even worse was the treatment of young innocent teenage girls, pregnant women and newborn babies.
I received a digital copy of The Secret Midwife by Soraya M. Lane from Amazon Publishing UK and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Ms. Lane uses as a basis for her latest outstanding historical fictional story, the real life written testimonies of a Polish doctor, midwife, a gynecologist and what they did while prisoners at Auschwitz.
They wanted to save as many women and babies as they could and they also wanted to world to know what happened in the camp and for the perpetrators to be made accountable. An emotional and heartbreaking story about Auschwitz, one that will stay with me for a long time, it moved me to tears and five stars.
August 2, 2023
Inspired by true accounts of the Polish resistance, author Soraya Lane explores the experiences of those brave doctors, nurses and midwives who were imprisoned in camps during WW2.
A fan of Lane’s work, I knew I'd be in for a thought-provoking read based on heaps of research and laced with true accounts. Not only is this another 5-star read, but it is also sensitively written and balances hope with the horrors.
In short, this story is about brave souls doing what they can under impossible circumstances. You’ll read a compelling account from a 95-year-old woman who recounts her role as a midwife during WW2. This tale is supported by a doctor who lost everything in his quest to help Jews and then rounded out with stories of life behind the gates of Auschwitz.
Lane allows readers inside the head of an ordinary person, swept off the streets of her hometown, imprisoned in Auschwitz and forced to deliver babies in such unthinkable conditions. We see the constant battle both the midwife and the birthing mothers fought - shame at experiencing fleeting moments of happiness bombarded with the stark reality of death. The interplay between preservation, the ray of hope, and the daily struggle to survive left me breathless and in tears many times. I appreciated the multi perspectives (tattooist, doctor and prisoner) and thought they brought depth to the story.
Never, ever discount the effects of a single person doing what they can under extreme circumstances.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
A fan of Lane’s work, I knew I'd be in for a thought-provoking read based on heaps of research and laced with true accounts. Not only is this another 5-star read, but it is also sensitively written and balances hope with the horrors.
In short, this story is about brave souls doing what they can under impossible circumstances. You’ll read a compelling account from a 95-year-old woman who recounts her role as a midwife during WW2. This tale is supported by a doctor who lost everything in his quest to help Jews and then rounded out with stories of life behind the gates of Auschwitz.
Lane allows readers inside the head of an ordinary person, swept off the streets of her hometown, imprisoned in Auschwitz and forced to deliver babies in such unthinkable conditions. We see the constant battle both the midwife and the birthing mothers fought - shame at experiencing fleeting moments of happiness bombarded with the stark reality of death. The interplay between preservation, the ray of hope, and the daily struggle to survive left me breathless and in tears many times. I appreciated the multi perspectives (tattooist, doctor and prisoner) and thought they brought depth to the story.
Never, ever discount the effects of a single person doing what they can under extreme circumstances.
I was gifted this copy by Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing and NetGalley and was under no obligation to provide a review.
September 19, 2023
MS Lane has taken historical facts and turned them into a heart-breaking and heart-felt story of determination, strength and courage as we learn about the midwife, Emilia in Auschwitz who with the help of Aleksy and Lena saved hundreds of lives, make sure you have a box of tissues while reading.
In 1995 the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, there is a call fall for any information on the midwife who saved so many lives, Emilia knows it is time to tell her story.
When Emilia is taken prisoner in 1942 in her homeland of Poland she is sent to Auschwitz for helping Jewish mothers deliver their babies and working for The Resistance, what she discovers here is atrocious and appalling, but it makes Emilia determined to help as many as she can as a midwife.
When she meets Aleksy a Polish doctor and Obstetrician they join forces to work together and then young Lena steps in to help as well and soon they are saving babies and woman at such danger to themselves.
I cried bucket loads in this one, it is beautifully written and a must read story for any lovers of historical fiction, I do highly recommend this one.
In 1995 the fiftieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz, there is a call fall for any information on the midwife who saved so many lives, Emilia knows it is time to tell her story.
When Emilia is taken prisoner in 1942 in her homeland of Poland she is sent to Auschwitz for helping Jewish mothers deliver their babies and working for The Resistance, what she discovers here is atrocious and appalling, but it makes Emilia determined to help as many as she can as a midwife.
When she meets Aleksy a Polish doctor and Obstetrician they join forces to work together and then young Lena steps in to help as well and soon they are saving babies and woman at such danger to themselves.
I cried bucket loads in this one, it is beautifully written and a must read story for any lovers of historical fiction, I do highly recommend this one.
March 17, 2025
Harrowing.
It’s an exceptional read. We follow the midwife Emilia from the beginning and very soon she finds herself in a place she could never have imagined. It’s a heartbreaking and moving story that is unforgettable.
It’s an exceptional read. We follow the midwife Emilia from the beginning and very soon she finds herself in a place she could never have imagined. It’s a heartbreaking and moving story that is unforgettable.
August 23, 2023
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
A stunningly written heartbreaking tale about the lives and experiences of characters who endured the horrors of Auschwitz.
This is a challenging piece of history to write about. As a historian, there is little more to say than the author does it justice. The book is executed in a respectful way for the people who endured the horrors. The author's research of the subject is strongly evident, and deserves to be truly commended. Inspired by the lives of very real individuals, and combined with a well-written literary flair, this is simply a tale that MUST be read.
The author ought to be complimented for many features of this work, including:
1. The characters (amazingly well written!)
2. The plot (perfectly executed)
3. The writing (beautiful)
4. The emotion (!!)
5. The horrors of Auschwitz, balanced with an undertone of hope
6. The ending (beautifully written)
Emilia, Lena and Aleksy will stay with me for a long time to come. I am so grateful to have read this story, to have met these characters, and to have discovered such a talented author. I can't wait to read more of her books in the future!
Final note:
This is one of my favourite books of all time. I can't wait to re-read it, and I will be recommending this book to all of my friends, including to all of the lovely Goodreads users.
Please, if you are thinking of reading this book, read it!
A stunningly written heartbreaking tale about the lives and experiences of characters who endured the horrors of Auschwitz.
This is a challenging piece of history to write about. As a historian, there is little more to say than the author does it justice. The book is executed in a respectful way for the people who endured the horrors. The author's research of the subject is strongly evident, and deserves to be truly commended. Inspired by the lives of very real individuals, and combined with a well-written literary flair, this is simply a tale that MUST be read.
The author ought to be complimented for many features of this work, including:
1. The characters (amazingly well written!)
2. The plot (perfectly executed)
3. The writing (beautiful)
4. The emotion (!!)
5. The horrors of Auschwitz, balanced with an undertone of hope
6. The ending (beautifully written)
Emilia, Lena and Aleksy will stay with me for a long time to come. I am so grateful to have read this story, to have met these characters, and to have discovered such a talented author. I can't wait to read more of her books in the future!
Final note:
This is one of my favourite books of all time. I can't wait to re-read it, and I will be recommending this book to all of my friends, including to all of the lovely Goodreads users.
Please, if you are thinking of reading this book, read it!
May 29, 2023
I read The Secret Midwife in one sitting. It's difficult to rate a read about the Holocaust; but I'm going to give this one five stars, simply because I can't stop thinking about it. I've read a lot of WWII fiction, but hadn't stumbled across much detailing pregnancy and childbirth at Auschwitz. The jumps between timelines give some relief from the intensity of life in a concentration camp, and I appreciated learning more about that era.
June 4, 2023
In her Author’s Notes, Soraya says the the characters of Emilia, Aleksy and Lena will stay with her for a very long time. Anyone who reads this remarkable tale will also carry these characters with them as well because they do everything they can to bring hope to those who have all but lost it.
The year is 1995 and an elderly Emilia comes across a news story on the Holocaust while watching tv, her immediate instinct is to turn the channel. She has spent most of her adult life trying not to look back on the nightmare she once lived through. Just as she goes to turn the channel, there is a mention of a midwife who tried to save many lives within the barbed wire fencing of Auschwitz.
Having been recently widowed and age getting the best of her at times, Emilia decides to tell her story for the first time. She reveals to not only the interviewer but also her daughter that she is the midwife mentioned in the story. She digs deep within her to tell her story before it’s too late.
Loosely based on actual events and people, this story will tug at your heartstrings from the very first page to the last. This is a different approach to WWII fiction than what we’ve previously seen from Soraya. I can only imagine the emotional difficulty in writing this but these stories need to be told and Soraya did just that, brilliantly!
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Soraya M Lane for allowing me to read this work of art before it hits the shelves! I won’t soon forget these remarkable characters.
The year is 1995 and an elderly Emilia comes across a news story on the Holocaust while watching tv, her immediate instinct is to turn the channel. She has spent most of her adult life trying not to look back on the nightmare she once lived through. Just as she goes to turn the channel, there is a mention of a midwife who tried to save many lives within the barbed wire fencing of Auschwitz.
Having been recently widowed and age getting the best of her at times, Emilia decides to tell her story for the first time. She reveals to not only the interviewer but also her daughter that she is the midwife mentioned in the story. She digs deep within her to tell her story before it’s too late.
Loosely based on actual events and people, this story will tug at your heartstrings from the very first page to the last. This is a different approach to WWII fiction than what we’ve previously seen from Soraya. I can only imagine the emotional difficulty in writing this but these stories need to be told and Soraya did just that, brilliantly!
Thanks so much to NetGalley, Amazon Publishing UK and Soraya M Lane for allowing me to read this work of art before it hits the shelves! I won’t soon forget these remarkable characters.
June 14, 2023
This is a heartbreaking read.
It is WWII in Auschwitz along with Josef Mendele. A question is presented that is not so easily passed off as black or white. Abortion is murder. However, when medical personnel are faced with a no win situation, what is right? Let mothers birth their child and immediately be gassed, or secretly abort the child in hopes the mother might survive the horrors?
This read is very disturbing reading of the complete disregard for human life as well as thought provoking.
It is WWII in Auschwitz along with Josef Mendele. A question is presented that is not so easily passed off as black or white. Abortion is murder. However, when medical personnel are faced with a no win situation, what is right? Let mothers birth their child and immediately be gassed, or secretly abort the child in hopes the mother might survive the horrors?
This read is very disturbing reading of the complete disregard for human life as well as thought provoking.
July 24, 2023
This is the fifth book I have read by Soraya Lane and she does an amazing job honoring history while creating characters and stories that stick with readers.
There are numerous, horrible things that occurred during WWII but one that never crossed my mind was unborn babies. Imagine a pregnant woman living in a concentration camp and having your child born into such deplorable conditions, where you have no way to protect or care for them. Some of these pregnant women were promised better conditions and more food if they came forward - only to be studied and experimented on by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele or other SS physicians.
One of the main characters is Emilia, a midwife from a small town in Poland. Emilia is committed to helping everyone, including delivering Jewish babies and helping to smuggle these babies to safety. Our other main character is Alesky, a doctor, who is trying to keep his town safe from the Nazis by leading them to believe his town is in the midst of a typhus outbreak and helping any injured resistance members. Because of their behavior, Emilia and Alesky end up in Auschwitz. Together, they do what they can to protect and care for as many of their fellow prisoners while risking their own lives.
This is an emotional, heartbreaking read steeped in factual events. Despite being such a difficult subject matter, it truly honors the brave individuals who did the right thing despite the threat of harm, injury or even death. This is a must read!!!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.
There are numerous, horrible things that occurred during WWII but one that never crossed my mind was unborn babies. Imagine a pregnant woman living in a concentration camp and having your child born into such deplorable conditions, where you have no way to protect or care for them. Some of these pregnant women were promised better conditions and more food if they came forward - only to be studied and experimented on by the infamous Dr. Josef Mengele or other SS physicians.
One of the main characters is Emilia, a midwife from a small town in Poland. Emilia is committed to helping everyone, including delivering Jewish babies and helping to smuggle these babies to safety. Our other main character is Alesky, a doctor, who is trying to keep his town safe from the Nazis by leading them to believe his town is in the midst of a typhus outbreak and helping any injured resistance members. Because of their behavior, Emilia and Alesky end up in Auschwitz. Together, they do what they can to protect and care for as many of their fellow prisoners while risking their own lives.
This is an emotional, heartbreaking read steeped in factual events. Despite being such a difficult subject matter, it truly honors the brave individuals who did the right thing despite the threat of harm, injury or even death. This is a must read!!!!!
I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed above are my own.
May 6, 2024
A really moving story, inspired by true events that took place in Auschwitz. A really gripping story, but extremely sad read. I struggled to get through some parts, however I’m glad I pushed through to the end.
May 24, 2023
My review will be live on my blog - donnasbookblog on 1st August 2023 - publication day!
I finished this book this evening and I thought it was absolutely brilliant
It is a really well written story, you can almost feel that you are going through the time with them, the author has done a truly magnificent job in bringing her characters to life.
I liked the way that the story was told with the different times and views mixing. I loved the main characters got to have their own voice too. I can’t even imagine what they would have been going through, the pain, discomfort and starvation, beatings and loss of loved ones and of those around them.
I started reading the book last night and needed to keep reading, I finished it this evening after work and the first thing I did was tell my mum, and my husband all about it.
The story was at times harrowing as you can expect knowing the subject and it was also heart-breaking but I was compelled to keep reading, I really wanted them all to make it to the point of liberation and I really wanted them to be able to try to rebuild their lives
One of the very best historic fiction books covering this subject that I have read. This couldn’t be anything other than 5 stars – it is a book that will definitely stay with me for a while – very highly recommended for any lovers of historical fiction or stories set during WWII
I finished this book this evening and I thought it was absolutely brilliant
It is a really well written story, you can almost feel that you are going through the time with them, the author has done a truly magnificent job in bringing her characters to life.
I liked the way that the story was told with the different times and views mixing. I loved the main characters got to have their own voice too. I can’t even imagine what they would have been going through, the pain, discomfort and starvation, beatings and loss of loved ones and of those around them.
I started reading the book last night and needed to keep reading, I finished it this evening after work and the first thing I did was tell my mum, and my husband all about it.
The story was at times harrowing as you can expect knowing the subject and it was also heart-breaking but I was compelled to keep reading, I really wanted them all to make it to the point of liberation and I really wanted them to be able to try to rebuild their lives
One of the very best historic fiction books covering this subject that I have read. This couldn’t be anything other than 5 stars – it is a book that will definitely stay with me for a while – very highly recommended for any lovers of historical fiction or stories set during WWII
July 2, 2023
Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC.
This was such a powerful, vividly written book. I think that in general, books based on the Holocaust are quite daunting and the amount of research the author has put into writing this books makes it all the more difficult to read although it remained gripping throughout.
There were several unexpected twists throughout the story and I became so emotionally invested in the characters and the horrors which they faced.
Really well written, I’d recommend this book but it is a harrowing read.
This was such a powerful, vividly written book. I think that in general, books based on the Holocaust are quite daunting and the amount of research the author has put into writing this books makes it all the more difficult to read although it remained gripping throughout.
There were several unexpected twists throughout the story and I became so emotionally invested in the characters and the horrors which they faced.
Really well written, I’d recommend this book but it is a harrowing read.
August 14, 2023
This was good, but maybe I've just read 1 too many WWII books. Just didn't do much for me.
September 26, 2023
This is a wonderful story of bravery and courage during one of the worst times in history. The characters felt so real and the writing and storytelling was excellent.
June 8, 2023
Wow!
This is one amazing journey as we head back to World War II in the Auschwitz concentration camps.
It is definitely not an easy read, with incredible detail and intensity- but OH how it explains the horrors of living and dying during those times!
Emilia speaks out about her times as a midwife that have never before been shared.
These told secrets coincide on the fiftieth anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation.
It is time to let people know what occurred there all those years ago.
This novel is fascinating and emotional and it will definitely stay with me a long time.
If you enjoy historical fiction or women's fiction,this one is for you!
Thank you to @NetGalley and @Amazon Publishing.UK, @Lake Union Publishing and @Soraya Lane for this incredible ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
This is one amazing journey as we head back to World War II in the Auschwitz concentration camps.
It is definitely not an easy read, with incredible detail and intensity- but OH how it explains the horrors of living and dying during those times!
Emilia speaks out about her times as a midwife that have never before been shared.
These told secrets coincide on the fiftieth anniversary of the Auschwitz liberation.
It is time to let people know what occurred there all those years ago.
This novel is fascinating and emotional and it will definitely stay with me a long time.
If you enjoy historical fiction or women's fiction,this one is for you!
Thank you to @NetGalley and @Amazon Publishing.UK, @Lake Union Publishing and @Soraya Lane for this incredible ARC and allowing me to read and provide my own review.
May 25, 2023
A story of Emilia, a midwife like her own mother and grandmother. Emilia delivers babies in her little village in Poland. But when she is arrested by the Gestapo and sent to by train with thousands of others to a concentration camp Auschwitz.
There Emilia is put to work assisting mothers delivers babies. She meets Doctor Alesky who helps train Emilia to save woman and their babies.
The horror of what Emilia sees breaks her heart, but she is determined, especially with the assistance of Alesky and Lena to continue to save others.
This story is heartbreaking, emotional and touching of how the lives of the camp internees lived and survived.
Thanks to #netGalley for the ARC of this book.
There Emilia is put to work assisting mothers delivers babies. She meets Doctor Alesky who helps train Emilia to save woman and their babies.
The horror of what Emilia sees breaks her heart, but she is determined, especially with the assistance of Alesky and Lena to continue to save others.
This story is heartbreaking, emotional and touching of how the lives of the camp internees lived and survived.
Thanks to #netGalley for the ARC of this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
November 12, 2023
emotional but wonderful
I’d love to give this ten stars, nay hundreds. A lovely book, very sad and emotional but showing the triumph of good over evil. Beautifully written and without a shred of ‘poor me’, it made me cry which books rarely do. I so wanted to reach out and touch them all. Cannot get my head round such deliberate and wanton cruelty. The issues raised still need to be instilled in our younger generations especially with so much unrest and fear currently. Lest we forget. RIP to everyone affected.
I’d love to give this ten stars, nay hundreds. A lovely book, very sad and emotional but showing the triumph of good over evil. Beautifully written and without a shred of ‘poor me’, it made me cry which books rarely do. I so wanted to reach out and touch them all. Cannot get my head round such deliberate and wanton cruelty. The issues raised still need to be instilled in our younger generations especially with so much unrest and fear currently. Lest we forget. RIP to everyone affected.
December 5, 2023
4.5⭐️ I need a light read after that one. Heart wrenching
February 13, 2024
this is an actual masterpiece.
March 10, 2025
A difficult read on a horrifying topic. But the Holocaust needs to be remembered, and this was an incredible story.
January 16, 2024
I listened on Audible for my Coppell Book Club. I most enjoyed thinking about the bravery and kindness that triumphed during the war. Natural leaders cannot be contained, but they can be contagious. Emelia was brave, smart, driven and an inspiring leading lady. Hard to read the wickedness, but I will remember the genuine friendship and cooperation.
December 26, 2023
Very well done ww2 historical fiction
May 3, 2025
An amazing but very emotional read
The characters were so strong and determined in their fight for survival,striving to help others in any way they could
The author did a fantastic job in balancing horror and hope
The characters were so strong and determined in their fight for survival,striving to help others in any way they could
The author did a fantastic job in balancing horror and hope
March 21, 2024
Very good story. Intense and emotional book. Highly recommend it!
November 21, 2025
Five huge stars! Such a captivating and heart wrenching story. Thank you to the book-loving friend who recommended this!
November 11, 2024
MY HEART!!! I couldn’t put this one down, it was so emotional and intriguing. All my labor and delivery girls would like this one!
August 4, 2023
4.5⭐️
The Secret Midwife is an illuminating and devastating work of historical fiction about Emilia, a midwife who worked to covertly save countless lives from the Nazis, first in the resistance in Poland, and then from within Auschwitz. She was one of the precious few to survive her time there and live to tell the tale. This dual-timeline story goes back and forth between her experiences in the war, and the future time when she finally is ready to recount her experience.
The author did a great job of providing a window into this brutal history, and am empathetic look at what many suffered through. It was a tough but worthwhile read.
There’s an author’s note at the end where she details the inspiring people whose real-life heroism the characters of Emilia and Aleksy were based on- I definitely recommend reading it.
Thank you Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
The Secret Midwife is an illuminating and devastating work of historical fiction about Emilia, a midwife who worked to covertly save countless lives from the Nazis, first in the resistance in Poland, and then from within Auschwitz. She was one of the precious few to survive her time there and live to tell the tale. This dual-timeline story goes back and forth between her experiences in the war, and the future time when she finally is ready to recount her experience.
The author did a great job of providing a window into this brutal history, and am empathetic look at what many suffered through. It was a tough but worthwhile read.
There’s an author’s note at the end where she details the inspiring people whose real-life heroism the characters of Emilia and Aleksy were based on- I definitely recommend reading it.
Thank you Soraya M. Lane, Amazon Publishing UK, Lake Union Publishing, and NetGalley for providing this ARC for review consideration. All opinions expressed are my own.
December 10, 2023
Beautiful and heartbreaking, like many accounts of this dark period in human history, possesses a certain beauty amid its heartbreaking portrayal. Unfortunately, this particular book falls short for me due to a few unresolved plot points.
One of the story's most compelling aspects revolves around the creation of tattoos on newborns, a poignant symbol of hope for mothers seeking their children after the war. Regrettably, this theme remains largely in the realm of discussion, offering minimal exploration of the profound risks involved. Rather than delving into the courageous efforts made to safeguard the children, the narrative predominantly fixates on the daily humiliations endured by prisoners in Auschwitz.
I feel like the book was more about pain and breaking your heart into a million pieces instead of what those people truly did to save those around them. Its focus becomes diffuse, particularly towards the conclusion, feeling not only hurried but also conspicuously incomplete.
One of the story's most compelling aspects revolves around the creation of tattoos on newborns, a poignant symbol of hope for mothers seeking their children after the war. Regrettably, this theme remains largely in the realm of discussion, offering minimal exploration of the profound risks involved. Rather than delving into the courageous efforts made to safeguard the children, the narrative predominantly fixates on the daily humiliations endured by prisoners in Auschwitz.
I feel like the book was more about pain and breaking your heart into a million pieces instead of what those people truly did to save those around them. Its focus becomes diffuse, particularly towards the conclusion, feeling not only hurried but also conspicuously incomplete.
September 30, 2023
Since I slept through world history in high school (and now I’m sorry I did) but now I get to read books like this that not only teach me but I enjoy it. This is a favorite of mine now by this author.
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