Thursday, January 31, 2019

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe

The Librarian of Auschwitz by Antonio Iturbe-424 pages

I wanted to read this for a while because it is based on the true story of a girl interred in Auschwitz who secretly curated a small library. The Nazis didn't allow books or teaching of any kind, so it was dangerous and risky to have this hidden library and school in the middle of a concentration/extermination camp. While it is a story worth telling the translation into English and/or the author's writing was left wanting a bit. The story is not told only from Dita's (the librarian) perspective but also from a handful of other perspectives and the transitions between voices aren't always clear. Overall, it is a story worth reading, but be aware that the writing (and/or the translation) is a bit underwhelming.

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