The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

I recently finished The Librarian of Auschwitz, and had the worst ‘book hangover ‘ - how do you follow that story?

The story is based on the true story of Dita Kraus. At 14 years old she finds herself in the infamous Auschwitz Death Camp, with a very dangerous job - to look after the ‘Library ‘. In reality the Library is little more than a few tatty books, which she has to constantly repair, and a few ‘living’ books - people who can tell a story from their heads and bring it to life. Books in any form were banned in Auschwitz, so Dita has to smuggle the printed books in and out of the family camp each day - an act of true bravery which could result in death if caught.

This is her story, with a little artistic licence by the author to flesh out the dialogue. It corresponds very well to accounts I have heard from survivors, and at the end it tells you what happened to some of the central people after the war.

This is a book that everyone should read, so this never, ever happens again. We will not forget. 😢