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dilchh's review against another edition
5.0
Seriously, I am not okay at all.
For someone who claimed to have an interest in world war II, I have to admit I never heard of Ravensbrück. From a lot of documentaries about Nazi’s concentration camp that I’ve watched, I also never heard of Ravensbrück.
I thought this book was going to be a complete narrative of what Ravensbrück is, from its history to its prisoners. I didn’t expect to be moved by the struggles, the fight, the conviction, and the survival stories of the women of Ravensbrück. This was so much more than just a history of Ravensbrück, this is also the story of its women. This is a story about how the women of Ravensbrück fight their way through horror to end up always fighting until the end of their lives.
It was unfair for them to be in Ravensbrück, and it is still unfair that even after being liberated they were still fighting for survival; if not for their life and dignity, then for their rights to be heard as they are as much a victim as the rest of the other prisoners from other concentration camp.
I am not okay because I am in pain, I am in agony, I am angry, and I am frustrated for the many injustice that these women go through. Even in 2017, the fact that Ravensbrück is still known so little is not fair. People need to be aware of the atrocities that these women go through; if not for the atrocities that they go through, then for their hard work and their constant battle for survival in order for the world to know that Ravensbrück exist and it is as horrible as the other camp.
The book was written with such intimate details and voice that you felt like you were with the survivor themselves, listening to them going through the details of what life was like in Ravensbrück as if you are there with them, going through the same horror.
Although this book was incredibly thick (this was definitely the longest book I’ve read in 2017), I didn’t find it troublesome for the writing was enjoyable and detailed. So much details were put into the writing that at times it can feel a bit traumatic for me.
For someone who claimed to have an interest in world war II, I have to admit I never heard of Ravensbrück. From a lot of documentaries about Nazi’s concentration camp that I’ve watched, I also never heard of Ravensbrück.
I thought this book was going to be a complete narrative of what Ravensbrück is, from its history to its prisoners. I didn’t expect to be moved by the struggles, the fight, the conviction, and the survival stories of the women of Ravensbrück. This was so much more than just a history of Ravensbrück, this is also the story of its women. This is a story about how the women of Ravensbrück fight their way through horror to end up always fighting until the end of their lives.
It was unfair for them to be in Ravensbrück, and it is still unfair that even after being liberated they were still fighting for survival; if not for their life and dignity, then for their rights to be heard as they are as much a victim as the rest of the other prisoners from other concentration camp.
I am not okay because I am in pain, I am in agony, I am angry, and I am frustrated for the many injustice that these women go through. Even in 2017, the fact that Ravensbrück is still known so little is not fair. People need to be aware of the atrocities that these women go through; if not for the atrocities that they go through, then for their hard work and their constant battle for survival in order for the world to know that Ravensbrück exist and it is as horrible as the other camp.
The book was written with such intimate details and voice that you felt like you were with the survivor themselves, listening to them going through the details of what life was like in Ravensbrück as if you are there with them, going through the same horror.
Although this book was incredibly thick (this was definitely the longest book I’ve read in 2017), I didn’t find it troublesome for the writing was enjoyable and detailed. So much details were put into the writing that at times it can feel a bit traumatic for me.
devansbooklife's review
5.0
This is a non-fictional compilation on female concentration camp of Ravensbruck. There has been little written about Ravensbruck in comparison to other camps in WWII. This book is no weekend read, it is heavy and thorough. It is very detailed and at times reads similarly to a text book. For those history lovers who are interested in a detailed work on this specific camp and the atrocities inflicted on the female inhabitants of the camp this is a must read.
miseraya's review
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death, Confinement, Emotional abuse, Genocide, and Antisemitism
kayleem93's review against another edition
4.0
Fantastic. Honestly it has me gasping for breath at some points and I lost track of the amount of times me eyes were so teared up I needed to stop for a second to blink them away.
Even having taken a history course at A-Level for two year (one focusing only on WW2) I had never heard of this place or that there was a female only camp at all. Infact the way my college taught it it always came across as there only being Auschwitz though i knew from my own further reading this wasn't true.
I beleived that this would just be another staunch factual historical recalling of events like all my study books at school but this shocked me it was so human. You could almost feel the womens pain pouring out of the pages. The strength, resilence and in the face of such humiliation pride (especially in regards to the "red army girls") makes me proud to be able to say I am a woman.
As for just the writing ability when it was good it was really good and I felt suffocated by the atmosphere sometimes needing to look up and just breath to remind my self that life is not as bleak as all that. Though many people might feel the need because of the emotional subject to just say that the whole book was brilliant more out of respect for the dead than for the authours talent, I for one have to say that this book tends to go of on such tangents that I could barely get a time line staright in my head and would have benefit from either a chronolgy in the front or back or for the chapters to be given a date such as "March - June 1941" etc. Whilst I understand when she say that names are more important that numbers and I do whole heartedly agree I feel that because it focused so much on the minutiae the author sometimes forgot to give a feeling of the whole campe other than at the begining an end.
Should this woman ever write a fictional historical novel also I shall be right out to snap it up. When it comes to the soul of these women and the ways they ingeniously found to hide each other and write messages to tell the world of the horror I felt i could almost smeel the fear they must have felt. So any fictionalised acount of these event I feel would be well handled by this author.
Also good lord this book was long.
This is just my opinion and I would be grateful if you could respect it thank you.
Even having taken a history course at A-Level for two year (one focusing only on WW2) I had never heard of this place or that there was a female only camp at all. Infact the way my college taught it it always came across as there only being Auschwitz though i knew from my own further reading this wasn't true.
I beleived that this would just be another staunch factual historical recalling of events like all my study books at school but this shocked me it was so human. You could almost feel the womens pain pouring out of the pages. The strength, resilence and in the face of such humiliation pride (especially in regards to the "red army girls") makes me proud to be able to say I am a woman.
As for just the writing ability when it was good it was really good and I felt suffocated by the atmosphere sometimes needing to look up and just breath to remind my self that life is not as bleak as all that. Though many people might feel the need because of the emotional subject to just say that the whole book was brilliant more out of respect for the dead than for the authours talent, I for one have to say that this book tends to go of on such tangents that I could barely get a time line staright in my head and would have benefit from either a chronolgy in the front or back or for the chapters to be given a date such as "March - June 1941" etc. Whilst I understand when she say that names are more important that numbers and I do whole heartedly agree I feel that because it focused so much on the minutiae the author sometimes forgot to give a feeling of the whole campe other than at the begining an end.
Should this woman ever write a fictional historical novel also I shall be right out to snap it up. When it comes to the soul of these women and the ways they ingeniously found to hide each other and write messages to tell the world of the horror I felt i could almost smeel the fear they must have felt. So any fictionalised acount of these event I feel would be well handled by this author.
Also good lord this book was long.
This is just my opinion and I would be grateful if you could respect it thank you.
nikkimreads's review
3.0
Well written, but lengthy. If you're interested in WWII nonfiction, and ready for a lot of heavy reading, this is the book for you.
bookslut007's review
5.0
Wow. This was the most heart wrenching, devastating book I have ever encountered. I had to put this book down often and just say fuck. An important read. But a rough one.