Emilia

It takes courage to read this book. And it must have taken even more determination to write it. Ellie Midwood dares to reach back to one of the darkest times in Polish history, and she does it with tremendous respect for the victims.It would be tempting to use their suffering to add impact to the book. Ellie doesn't do that. The book is overwhelming, but never crass. I think the author must be a very sensitive person to have balanced the emotions in the novel in such an excellent way and to avoid unnecessary showiness.The author dives deep into the history of my country and even uses some Polish words to add flavor to the book--I appreciate this, since my language is not easy. Also, since I've walked the places Ellie depicts in her novel, I can tell you that her descriptions are very accurate (but without excessive details).I know Gdansk and the ghetto in Krakow so well. I've been to the concentration camp at Auschwitz, as getting to know the story of the genocide is an important part of our education. And I know the history of my poor country, including the Jews my family is befriended with, as well as the stories of our neighbors and relatives. In primary school, we, I mean the kids, discussed the war. My uncle was battered to death. My grandpa was gassed in Treblinka. My grandma hid in the basement with two babies.Almost every family in this country suffered a loss during World War II... And Ellie captured it all: the terror, the feeling of hopelessness, the eroding moral standards, but also the unbelievable will to survive. I know so many people who made it back from hell and decided to rebuild their lives.I'm very grateful to Ellie for telling our story, so that nobody forgets these crimes against humankind. We should all remember and beware in order not to let this happen again. Thank you, Ellie, for your courageous undertaking.

Emilia: The darkest days in history of Nazi Germany through a woman's eyes By Ellie MidwoodIt’s the late 1930s and an idealistic Jewish man, father to Emilia, prides himself in being a German and even welcomes the evil new ruler’s appointment to Chancellor. Oskar Brettenheimer believed that Hitler would make Germany strong again. That poor man’s hope was shattered when in 1938 all Jews were targeted and told to report to immigration department and wear a yellow band. Oskar fled with his wife Hanna, three sons (Ariel, Alfred and Martin), and youngest Emilia, to Poland where he opened a Jewelry shop. Once again his life was uprooted when his home was confiscated and Hitler’s Nazis took all his valuable belongings. Fearing they were to become homeless, they discovered their new living location was Krakow. The bad turns gain momentum and don’t let up until Emilia is thrown into a torturous hell of sexual abuse and exploitation. The abuse in the Krakow Ghetto are but a whisper of what is to come: a horrifying manipulative guard named Richter taunts Emilie, takes the last of her families hidden treasures (her mother’s wedding band, etc.) and doesn’t stop when there was nothing more material to for him to rob them of. No, he greedily lays claim of the only thing left, Emilia’s body and innocence. The story continues from one hell to a deeper torture and without retelling the entire plot suffice it to say that this book will stay with the reader till days after the last page is shut. Brilliantly and courageously written, Midwood holds no punches in taking the reader to places where actual survivors deign not to discuss: sexual exploitation and torture of Jewish women by the SS and Nazis. No one involved was left unscathed in this hard to believe based-on-reality story. I applaud the author for tackling a subject that was been verboten in much of contemporary literature about holocaust victims and survivors. It happened, it needs to be discussed, and it needs to be remembered. My hats off to Ellie Midwood for tackling this very difficult subject with much sensitivity and tact.

I chose Emilia to read as I was already a fan of Ellie Midwood’s novels, having read three other prior to this. If I had not read those previous books, I doubt that I’d have selected this book as the topic, that of victims of sexual slavery in German concentration camps, enduring inhumane suffering under the Nazi regime didn’t sound like something I would want to read in a voyeurism way. I need not have worried. Ellie Midwood handled the subject with sensitivity.What is great about this book for me, wasn’t the showing of the horrors of war that are faced by women. It was the after story, the path to recovery, and sharing that happy endings are possible even after scaring events. Don’t be concerned about reading this book, it is the story of love and resilience more than the one of betrayal than will linger in your mind.

A touching and important book, “Emilia” relates the descent to hell of an attractive, young Jewish girl, as she’s stripped of her innocence, her dreams, and her dignity in German concentration camps.Emilia’s fall starts off in the Krakow ghetto when she trades her body for medicine in order to save her young brother’s life. But does she really have a choice? Her beauty is at the same time her curse and her salvation. As she can’t save most of her family in spite of her sacrifices, Emilia loses any shred of dignity when she’s subject to rape and inhumane abuse at the hands of her guards and jealous inmates.Ellie Midwood’s talent seems to keep growing each time she writes a new story. In “Emilia,” the characters are deep and complex, the story entrancing, and the writing extremely strong. Emilia’s story is highly inspirational as she keeps her humanity in the midst of horror and still grows and learns from unexpected sources. She brushes death many times and still manages to rise stronger. The reader won’t want to put this book down as Ellie Midwood educates and captivates us at the same time. “Emilia” is a beautiful story of survival and personal growth. Highly recommended.