Knowing nothing about the seamstresses of Auschwitz or even that clothes were made for the Officer's wives and female guards of the camp I was very intrigued by this and quite surprised that this even happened. "The Red Ribbon" by Lucy Adlington was a truly eye opening read, which I'm not sure if 'enjoy' is the right word but I thoroughly devoured this book in a day and found it a very emotional but enjoyable read. *Thank you to Netgalley and Bonnier Zaffre for my ARC in exchange for an honest review*. On arrival at Auschwitz, families were separated - wives from husbands, babies torn from their mother's arms, and if just one sentence in this book epitomised this horror for me, it was this - 'There - already sprinkled in dust - a single shoe - for a baby's tiny foot'. We're all aware of the unspeakable things that happened in Auschwitz, but because 'The Red Ribbon' falls into the YA genre we're spared the details. It was well written in a sensitive manner, and the main protagonists were engaging. This is a lovely story of two friends just trying to survive one of the darkest periods in history. The girls talk about owning their own dress shop when all this is over, but there is no certainty any more, just hope, that's all they have - hope. Rose irons the clothes in the sewing room, and is an eternal optimist, she loves making up magical stories to help them escape the reality of where they are. This a place where it's not just the Guards that you have to watch out for though, as there is a hierarchy among the Stripeys, and each hut as it's own boss who rules over the others.Įlla becomes friendly with some of the other girls in the sewing room, but her special friend is Rose. However if a Stripey doesn't prove their worth they are put on a List, and everyone knows that those on the List are taken away and never seen again. Some prisoners ( or Stripeys as they are known ) are much worse off, having the same meagre diet but with really hard physical work to carry out. She soon discovers that to stay alive she must work hard, but with watery coffee for breakfast and watery soup for supper it's difficult to maintain the energy needed to keep going. In Auschwitz she is a non - person - insignificant, names are not allowed, everyone is identified by a number. She was walking in the gutter at the time, because as a Jew she wasn't allowed to walk on the pavement. She soon Birchwood - more commonly known as Auschwitz, is where we meet 14 year old Ella, starting her first day as a seamstress in The Upper Tailoring Studio, making beautiful dresses for Officers wives and female Guards.Įlla was snatched from the streets on her way home from school. Ella was snatched from the streets on her way home from school. One thing weaves through the colours of couture gowns and camp mud - a red ribbon, given to Ella as a symbol of hope.moreīirchwood - more commonly known as Auschwitz, is where we meet 14 year old Ella, starting her first day as a seamstress in The Upper Tailoring Studio, making beautiful dresses for Officers wives and female Guards. Will she fight for herself alone, or will she trust the importance of an ever-deepening friendship with Rose? Is her love of clothes and creativity nothing more than collaboration wth her captors, or is it a means of staying alive?
She is faced with painful decisions about how far she is prepared to go to survive. And this place is all about survival.Įlla seeks refuge from this reality, and from haunting memories, in her work and in the world of fashion and fabrics. Ella has joined the seamstresses of Birkenau-Auschwitz.Įvery dress she makes could be the difference between life and death. She is a dressmaker, but this is no ordinary sewing workshop. But this was Birchwood.Īs fourteen-year-old Ella begins her first day at work she steps into a world of silks, seams, scissors, pins, hems and trimmings. In another life we might have all been friends together. Ella has joined the seamstresses of Birken Rose, Ella, Marta and Carla. As fourteen-year-old Ella begins her first day at work she steps into a world of silks, seams, scissors, pins, hems and trimmings.
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