The Children's Block: Review

AUTHOR: Otto B. Kraus

PUBLISHER: Penguin Random House

GENRE: Historical/Biographical Fiction

RATING: ★★★★

Synopsis:

"Alex Ehren is a poet, a prisoner and a teacher in Block 31 in Auschwitz-Birkenau, the Children's Block. He spends his days trying to survive while illegally giving lessons to his young charges, shielding them as best he can from the impossible horrors of the camp. But trying to teach the children is not the only illicit activity Alex is involved in..."

General Opinion:

I found this book randomly while I was just looking around in the bookstore. I had realized that I had read his wife story beforehand and I wanted to continue. I did the right thing. Indeed, this story is heartbreaking and beautiful as well as hopeful. "Hopeful you say?". Yes, you read me right, Hopeful. It is hopeful because Alex is involved in things that could work in his and the camp's favor (let's not spoil it eh?) and it made it extremely interesting and beautiful.

I loved the story. I was afraid of having the read atrocities that children had been through but worry not fellow bookworm, Otto B Kraus does a wonderful job at telling another story. The interesting thing is that he got to read the diary of one of the teachers within this story and will write it down. This is what makes it beautiful and yet heartbreaking. I liked how a survivor tells the story of an inmate that wrote his thoughts. Now time to get to the Positives and Negatives.

Positive Points:

• I liked how well Otto B Kraus told the story, he was using the appropriate words to describe each situation without going into too much detail and without being over the top.

• The story in itself gives hope and also tells a beautiful story.

• I like the way the author writes.

• I like how for once, someone dares to talk about the Children's Block during WWII.

• The story in itself is extremely sad but the end gives us a glimpse of hope and somewhat happiness.

Negative Points:

• Again, the period, absolutely horrifying.

• Sometimes I wanted to know more about a personal story but as it is taken from a diary, it can be limited.

• It is tremendously horrendous to see how children lived then and how some children got intertwined in all the nasty SS business by being corrupted.

Do I Recommend it?

YES! As Otto B Kraus is not writing about his own personal experience, it is not required to read his wife's testimony, but because I did read it, I was able to understand some aspects more. The storyline is sad and beautiful at the same time, so I do think everyone should get a chance to read it!

Thank you Otto B Kraus for this absolutely beautiful story!

Keep Reading my fellow bookworms!

Onto the next book!