R. M. Romero

One night a little doll named Karolina comes to life in a toyshop in Krakow, Poland, in 1939, and changes the life of the gruff, broken-hearted Dollmaker. And when the darkness of the Nazi occupation sweeps over the city Karolina and the Dollmaker must bravely use their magic to save their Jewish friends from a terrible danger, no matter what the risks. A timeless fantasy set in the Second World War that weaves together magic, folklore and history.

The Dollmaker of Krakow

Rachel Maria Romero

At the beginning of World War II, Karolina's spirit magically travels from the war-torn Land of the Dolls to the Krakow, Poland, shop of the Dollmaker, Cyryl, and together they take great risks to save their Jewish friends.

my first read for the year 2025. this book evoked so many emotions stirring through my veins. i am a woman who spreads awareness of human rights and equality and justice, and this book enlightened me with another wisdom about the holocaust. i am glad that i picked this as my first read for this january and in this year 2025, it gave me a great amount of lesson and sparks my inner passion to learn more about the history and to remember and share awareness with it to other people.

mimi

Cariena

Wat een prachtig boek! Ik ben denk ik sowieso al bevooroordeeld doordat het zich in Krakau afspeelt en er veel Poolse dingen in terugkomen. Het is mooi hoe de schrijfster het vreselijke van de oorlog heeft kunnen combineren met het mooie sprookjesachtige. Het einde was zoals verwacht; hartverscheurend..

kiran 

great story, especially for the young target audience. the author did an amazing job in creating a story about the holocaust for young readers, and keeping the plot interesting, but also informative.

Kirsty

I ADORED this book so so much! I completely fell in love with all of the characters and their relationship was the sweetest. I was so fascinated the whole way through and just NEEDED to know what would happen, even though I knew it would break my heart.

 It was one of those books where I wish I could forget it and read it all over again!

everlinet

If a book makes me cry, it’s probably a good one. And I cried a lot.
This book is about a doll who shares her name with me. She’s stubborn and loyal and righteous. 
And a dollsmaker, who’s sad and caring. It’s about one of the worst times of our history, cruel World War II. 
Books about holocaust are so IMPORTANT. Please read them, so the cruelty is never repeated. 
This theme always makes me cry. Makes me wonder why something like this happened. And this book is all about people who CARE, who help others even though they sometimes pay for it badly. And about people who are evil and cruel, even weak, to follow such cruelty. And about fools, too, who let ugly things happen to others because fear is their master. About hatred, too.

We all know the terrible stuff that happened back then. But this is from a view of tiny little doll, who is a friend to human kindness. And you’ve never read a book about a doll who tells you the story of world war, I guess. You. Must. 

This book is very beautifully written. Emotional. So lovable. It’s both sad and beautiful. And trust me, writing a book about holocaust is not easy.

Shannon Jade

A powerful tale, 'The Dollmaker of Krakow' focuses on the effect of Holocaust on the Polish city. Bringing a new take to a familiar period, this novel uses simple magic to reflect the value of people, and acts of individual kindness in times of widespread terror. A story with a clear moral, the book flicks between two vastly different settings, one our own worlds history, and one the Land of Dolls, to show similarities. Encouraged by the gentle nature of the Dollmaker, we too can pursue kindness in the face of adversity.

The Dollmaker of Krakow

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