Description

The breathtakingly moving true story of the women who created a fashion workshop within one of WWII’s most notorious death camps – and sewed to survive the Holocaust.

‘Such a powerful book, so much pain, strong ladies, so much detail, I have read many books on Auschwitz but this one will stay with me for a long time’ – READER REVIEW

‘I couldn’t put it down. I spent time feeling angry and I cried, while reading it, but I also laughed on occasions and felt uplifted. I don’t think I’ve ever been more deeply moved by a book. Buy it. Read it. Gift it to friends. This is a very special book.’ – READER REVIEW

‘Just finished reading this incredible book and experiencing an incredible welter of emotions on reading the very personal survival stories of such incredible women – harrowing, humbling & awe-inspiring in equal measure.’ – READER REVIEW

At the height of the Holocaust twenty-five young inmates of the infamous Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp, mainly Jewish women and girls, were selected to design, cut, and sew beautiful fashions for elite Nazi women in a dedicated salon. It was work they hoped would spare them from the gas chambers.

Drawing on diverse sources – including interviews with the last surviving seamstress – The Dressmakers of Auschwitz follows the fates, friendships and resistance of these brave women. Historian Lucy Adlington shines light on their extraordinary stories, weaving a remarkable thread of courage and hope through one of the darkest periods of human history.

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Acclaim for The Dressmakers of Auschwitz:

‘Fascinating and original’ – Alexandra Shulman

‘Compelling . . . Adlington tells the stories of the women with clarity and steely precision’ – Jewish Chronicle

‘An utterly absorbing, important and unique historical read’ – Judy Batalion

‘Powerful . . . a fascinating account’ – Woman