Carly Schabowski

An unforgettable novel of human kindness, inspired by an incredible true story. Snow falls and a woman prepares for a funeral she has long expected, yet hoped would never come. As she pats her hair and straightens her skirt, she tells herself this isn’t the first time she’s lost someone. Lifting a delicate, battered wristwatch from a little box on her dresser, she presses it to her cheek. Suddenly, she’s lost in memory… January 1945, Dachau, Germany. As the train rattles through the bright, snowy Bavarian countryside, the still beauty outside the window hides the terrible scenes inside the train, where men and women are packed together, cold and terrified. Jewish watchmaker Isaac Schüller can’t understand how he came to be here, and is certain he won’t be leaving alive. When the prisoners arrive at Dachau concentration camp, Isaac is unexpectedly pulled from the crowd and installed in the nearby household of Senior Officer Becher and his young, pretty, spoiled wife. With his talent for watchmaking, Isaac can be of use to Becher, but he knows his life is only worth something here as long as Becher needs his skills. Anna Reznick waits table and washes linens for the Bechers, who dine and socialise and carry on as if they don’t constantly have death all around them. When she meets Isaac she knows she’s found a true friend, and maybe more. But Dachau is a dangerous place where you can never take love for granted, and when Isaac discovers a heartbreaking secret hidden in the depths of Becher’s workshop, it will put Anna and Issac in terrible danger… A gorgeously emotional and tear-jerking read set during World War Two. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. What readers are saying about The Watchmaker of Dachau: ‘Beautiful and heartbreaking… pulls at the heartstrings… breathtaking in its beauty… Nothing I can say in my review can possibly do the justice this book deserves. I can only say to grab yourself a copy and experience it for yourself. A definite 5 star read.’ Confessions of a Bookaholic, 5 stars ‘Affecting, heart-breaking and powerful tale… haunting, atmospheric and intensely dramatic tale that will shock, devastate, enthral and captivate readers… a superb novel I won’t forget in a hurry.’ Bookish Jottings ‘A book that put me through the emotional wringer… a beautiful and emotional read, a powerful story that begs to be read… so thought-provoking that it lingers after you have put it down.’ Sharon Beyond the Books ‘I haven't read anything as touching or heartfelt as The Watchmaker of Dachau in years… incredible… made me smile & shed happy tears.’ @bookworm.britt ‘Powerful… an epic, moving story… a must-read. You’ll find yourself grabbing tissues in this atmospheric tearjerker and wishing the last page was chapters and chapters away. I devoured it in one sitting… a masterful painter of words!’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Beautiful… captivating and hopeful yet tragic and devastating. It hooks you from the very first page… putting it down is something you won’t be able to do… highly recommend.’ @toreadistobreathe, 5 stars ‘I need to dry my eyes now after reading this book… a deeply profound book that was deeply moving… one I will not forget.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Amazingly stunning… a real tearful read… so vividly rendered… one story that I will never forget… took my breath away.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘Unforgettable… heart-wrenching but also heart-warming… truly inspirational, and I cannot recommend it highly enough.’ Christian Novel Review, 5 stars ‘I read this book in record time because I simply could not and did not want to put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer, 5 stars ‘A privilege to read.’ LoopyLouLaura

An absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical novel

The Watchmaker of Dachau

‘Oh my gosh I don’t know where to start, this book broke me… it will stay with me for a very long time... heartbreaking, poignant, gripping and compelling, I felt every emotion… I read this book in one sitting.’ Fiction Vixen Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Inspired by an incredible true story. Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Choice will love this heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal and a secret passed down through a family. Nazi-occupied Poland, 1940. When soldiers drag Tomasz back to his family’s farm, they put a gun to his head and tell him he must join the German army, or see his loved ones forced into the camps. Staring into the wide blue eyes of his childhood sweetheart Zofia, Tomasz does the only thing he can. Over the course of the war, he will risk his life, love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for good against evil. All the while, he longs to be reunited with Zofia… but will his brave choices tear them apart forever? London, present day. Isla has grown up wearing her grandfather’s rainbow scarf, a beloved memento from the Second World War, and hearing his stories about his time as a young soldier bravely fighting the Germans to protect his people. But as she is collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration, she finds an old photograph of two men standing in Nazi uniforms, next to a folded piece of paper… a newspaper article, written in German. She knows that name. Her grandfather is too weak to answer questions, so Isla begins her hunt for the truth. There is so much she doesn’t know. And what she learns about a love story and a secret from seventy years ago will change her own life forever… Readers absolutely love The Rainbow: ‘Wow!! Just wow!!… This book is brilliant! More than brilliant, amazing!!!… Absolutely gripping, addictive and captivating… I was absolutely hooked from the first page to the last. Everybody should put The Rainbow on their reading list for 2021!!’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Phenomenal… it is truly a must-read. I enjoyed this book from beginning to end, it is an amazing, unputdownable must-read. I wish I could give it more than five stars.’ Page Turners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Will rip your heart out… It has heartache, pain, loss, joy, and sorrow. It’s a great WWII historical fiction… heartbreaking.’ Books Read By Prairie Girl ‘Beautiful, heartfelt book! It’s seriously the best book I've read all month! The writing was brilliant. Captivating… Simply heart-breaking… I loved everything about this book! So beautifully done!’ @oh.happy.reading, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Wow! This book was absolutely amazing. I could not quit reading it. I highly recommend everyone pick this book up. It is one of the BEST I’ve read this year.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Hooks you right away and makes you wonder what is going to happen next. Pulls at your heart strings in all the right ways.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Absolutely heartbreaking World War 2 historical fiction based on a true story

The Rainbow

"Inspired by a true story, this WWII novel will sweep you away to the circus in this "delightful read that will get you hooked from the get go" (Lu Reads Anything). Paris, 1940. Twenty-year-old Michel Bonnet lives on the edge of the law, finding work where he can at the horse fairs on the outskirts of the city. But when Paris falls to the Nazis, Michel escapes as a stowaway on a secret midnight train bound for the south. It's a journey that will change his life forever -- he's joined the circus. It's there Michel first sees Frieda - dark-haired, mysterious and also fleeing the Germans. Homeless and hungry, Michel would do anything for a safe place to sleep... and the chance to spend one more hour with her. But there's something Frieda isn't telling him, a secret she has sworn to carry to her grave. As Michel leaves Paris behind for the lavender fields and hillside villages of the rural south, he's in more danger than he could ever know."--

The Ringmaster's Daughter

Ringmaster's Daughter

Parigi, 1940. La città delle luci è diventata buia. Una commovente storia d’amore Parigi, 1940. Michel Bonnet ha solo vent’anni e vive arrangiandosi con lavoretti rimediati alle fiere di cavalli alla periferia della città. Ma quando Parigi cade in mano ai nazisti, Michel sale clandestinamente sul primo treno diretto verso sud. È un viaggio che gli cambierà la vita per sempre. Quando Michel vede per la prima volta Frieda – una bellissima ragazza dai capelli scuri e dagli occhi enigmatici e misteriosi – ne rimane affascinato. Anche Frieda è in fuga dai nazisti e Michel, senza un tetto e affamato, decide di unire il suo destino a quello della ragazza e di seguirla nella compagnia circense di cui fa parte. Ma c’è qualcosa che Frieda non gli dice, un segreto che ha giurato di portare nella tomba. E così Michel, ignaro del pericolo che si avvicina, si mette al seguito della compagnia circense itinerante, addentrandosi nella campagna francese, con il suo indimenticabile profumo di lavanda. Commovente come Il maestro di Auschwitz Indimenticabile come Storia di una ladra di libri «Fin dalla prima pagina, la scrittura mi ha catturato. È come se l’autrice, con le sue descrizioni vivide, riuscisse a dipingere un quadro.» «Carly Schabowski ha un talento eccezionale! Il suo romanzo è una lettura coinvolgente, indimenticabile e poetica.» «Il miglior libro che ho letto quest’anno: è bello e profondo. La storia coinvolge e ti ritrovi a partecipare alle vicende dei personaggi e alla loro battaglia per la sopravvivenza nella Francia occupata.» «Sentivo il dolore, la paura e la disperazione dei personaggi... Le descrizioni dei luoghi, in particolare di Parigi, sono fenomenali. L’ho letto in ventiquattr’ore e non riuscivo a metterlo giù.» Carly Schabowski È inglese; ha lavorato come giornalista a Cipro e in Australia prima di tornare a Oxford, dove insegna Scrittura Creativa presso la Oxford Brookes University. Appassionata studiosa della storia della seconda guerra mondiale, ha inoltre conseguito un dottorato sul tema della responsabilità degli autori di romanzi storici.

Il circo dei piccoli miracoli

Holding the faded postcard in her trembling hands, Mia begins to read the one story her grandmother could never tell her, revealing a secret that will change her own life forever… When her beloved grandmother, Ilse, is taken into hospital, Mia drops everything to travel to Germany and care for the woman who raised her. But when her grandmother briefly wakes up and asks for a man called Szymon, Mia is confused. Who is he? And why does her grandmother need to see him so desperately? Later that night, Mia returns to her grandmother’s apartment to search for clues. She soon discovers a small parcel hidden inside one of Ilse’s suitcases. When she removes the wrapping, she finds a stack of faded postcards neatly bound together, signed with a name that makes her heart stop in her chest: Szymon. Desperate to find Szymon before it is too late, Mia unearths a story her grandmother never told her: of childhood friendship and heartbreaking young love on the eve of the Second World War, and of a plan to rescue a young man imprisoned by the Nazis. Mia can’t quite believe her grandmother was so brave, and risked so much to save this man’s life… But did she succeed? As the final pieces of the past come together, Mia realizes that she is about to find out what really happened to her grandmother during the war. But she doesn’t expect to uncover a secret that will change everything… Based on a true story, this page-turning and emotional wartime novel follows one woman’s brave decision to save the man she loves from the Nazis. An unputdownable and moving story about courage in the face of unimaginable odds, perfect for readers of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Nightingale and The Alice Network. Praise for The Postcard: ‘Left me speechless and had me wanting to roll up in a ball and cry hysterically… Heartbreaking… Had me in tears and kept me hooked until the final page… I could not stop thinking about the characters.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘Brilliant heart-puller of a read… I was completely captivated… An emotional rollercoaster… This book is an absolute must-read. Carly Schabowski has crafted a masterpiece that will linger in my thoughts for a long time.’ @Kellyalacey ‘I loved this story!… The Postcard is her best book yet. I was fully invested and couldn't put it down.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Heartbreaking… Really tugged at my heart strings… Brought tears to my eyes… Unputdownable.’ @leona.omahony ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘You’ll fall in love with this novel and each character in it… I couldn’t put it down… This is must-read.’ Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘I was hooked instantly… I loved this story.’ @pawzingtoread ‘Loved this… unputdownable and moving.’ Goodreads reviewer ‘A powerful read… Totally consumed me… Heartbreaking… A tale that must be read in memory of the six million innocents who died and of those who survived.’ Christianbookaholic ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘Fantastic… This is my first book by this author but it definitely won't be my last.’ Susan Loves Books ‘I absolutely loved… Amazing!’ @winoandthebooks ‘Wonderful… heartbreaking and powerful.’ Page Turners ‘Incredible… I absolutely was so invested in Mia and her grandmother’s story.’ @stamperlady50 ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

A completely gripping and heartbreaking World War 2 historical novel

The Postcard

France, 1942: An unforgettable, heart-wrenching and utterly unputdownable World War Two novel about one woman’s bravery in the face of darkness, and her heartbreaking decision to risk everything to do the right thing… As Kasia creeps out of the farmhouse in the dead of night to transmit an urgent message, her heart pounds in her chest. Gripping her radio tightly in her hand, she feels a terrible sense of dread. She knows that this message could be the one that finally leads the Nazis to her… Crouching in the shadows, with trembling fingers she turns the dial on her radio and hears the familiar crackle of static. Shaking, she quickly taps out her message and, holding her breath, she waits in the darkness. Suddenly, she sees a quick flash of light out at sea. Her message has been received by the Allied boats; now they know it’s not safe to come ashore tonight. As she looks back towards the little farmhouse, her heart catches in her throat. Inside, the two people she loves most in this world are sleeping soundly. Because while Kasia knows her messages might save thousands of soldiers, she also knows that her radio signal could bring the Germans terrifyingly close, perhaps even straight to Hugo and Elodie… A totally heartbreaking and gripping wartime novel of courage and of the endurance of the human spirit. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, When We Were Yours and The Alice Network. What readers are saying about All The Courage We Have Found: “Phenomenal… a breath of fresh air for wartime fiction.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Loved it!... Rich and immersive.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Heart-warming and fulfilling.” Goodreads reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Intriguing… this is a page-turner.” NetGalley reviewer ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Unforgettable… I could not put the book down.” Christian Novel Review ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ “Incredibly moving… heartbreaking and gripping. I was enchanted.” Goodreads reviewer

An utterly heartbreaking and beautiful World War 2 historical novel

All the Courage We Have Found

There, on the dusty floorboards, was a piece of paper, folded neatly. A newspaper article, written in German, alongside a faded picture of two men in Nazi uniforms staring at the camera. I was about to place it back in the box of forgotten things when something in the text jumped out at me. My breath caught in my chest. I know that name. London, present day. Isla has grown up hearing her beloved grandad's stories about his life as a child in pre-war Poland and as a young soldier bravely fighting the Germans to protect his people. So she is shocked and heartbroken to find, while collecting photos for his 95th birthday celebration, a picture of her dear grandfather wearing a Nazi uniform. Is everything she thought she knew about him a lie? Unable to question him due to his advanced dementia, Isla wraps herself in her rainbow-coloured scarf, a memento of his from the war, and begins to hunt for the truth behind the photograph. What she uncovers is more shocking than she could have ever anticipated - a tale of childhood sweethearts torn apart by family duty, and how one young man risked his life, his love and the respect of his own people, to secretly fight for justice from inside the heart of the enemy itself... An heartbreaking novel of love, betrayal and a secret passed down through a family. Inspired by an incredible true story. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, We Were the Lucky Ones and The Alice Network. Readers absolutely love The Rainbow: 'Oh my gosh... this book broke me... it will stay with me for a very long time... heart-breaking, poignant, gripping and compelling I felt every emotion... I read this book in one sitting.' Fiction Vixen Reads, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 'Will rip your heart out... It has heartache, pain, loss, joy, and sorrow. It's a great WWII historical fiction... heartbreaking.' Books Read By Prairie Girl

Carly Schabowski

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