Reviewed by Emma Crowley
Auschwitz, 1941: It was her father’s job to save the lives of the SS. But she chose to risk everything and save the lives of prisoners.
In Nazi-occupied Poland, Sofia cannot look her father in the eye. Sofia’s mother, her papa’s cherished wife, is Jewish—how dare he work as a doctor for the SS? She cannot forgive him, even if the bargain was made to spare their lives.
In the middle of the night, Isaac emerges from a packed train with hundreds of others. Beneath Auschwitz’s barbed wire, soldiers surround them, and gunshots pierce the dark sky. The SS decide prisoners’ fates on the spot—and Isaac is chosen to work, rather than to die.
Every day, Isaac and his fellow inmates are sent to a nearby farm. From sunup to sundown, they toil the land with barely a scrap to eat. Every breath feels like it could be Isaac’s last, so when he sees a beautiful auburn-haired girl peering out of the farmhouse window, it feels like a dream…
Sofia refuses to accept what she is seeing. Disobeying her father and evading the guards, she risks her life to sneak a letter to the green-eyed boy outside. She explains that she has hidden them food, and that she’ll do everything in her power to save them.
This secret exchange sparks an escape that should have been impossible—and a love story that is unforgettable. But is love enough in the face of evil? And when Sofia and Isaac are concealed underground, holding their breath as the Nazis hunt them, will they survive?
Many thanks to Bookouture via NetGalley for my copy of The Doctor’s Daughter to review and to Sharon for having my review on the blog.
The Doctor’s Daughter is the second book that I have read by Shari J. Ryan in the last number of months and she is certainly an impressive author when it comes to writing in the historical fiction genre. This book is once again set during World War Two. Despite a slow start, once the two main characters meet things did really pick up pace. A very brief prologue takes place in May 1945, when war has been declared over. A female character, whom we soon learn to be Sofia, emerges after experiencing war for more than a third of her life. You can sense her apprehension at entering this new and uncharted world but there is a small sense of hope that surrounds her as she knows that she is in now in charge of her own destiny. ‘Some might see this moment as an opening to Heaven’s gates while others could argue we are stepping away from the depths of hell’.
We are then taken back to May 1941 and from then on chapters move back and forth between Soifa and Isaac, both of whom are having very different experiences of war despite both being Jewish. Sofia lives on a farm with her mother Lena and father Friedrich. Sofia and her mother are Jewish but due to the marriage laws they are protected but still they fear things could change at any moment and the small comfort and security they have as a family could be shattered. Freidrich is a doctor and is soon tasked by the SS to train their incoming doctors. Sofia had planned to follow her father and become a nurse and she is horrified when she feels that he is betraying her and her mother by working for the side that is inflicting so much terror, distress and torture on people whom they deem unworthy of living.
Sofia had wanted to be like her father more than anything in the world. To have a life where she could help others but now as she doesn’t look up to him anymore rather she resents him she questions when things get really tough will her father give up on her and Lena and turn them in? To be honest I felt that Friedrich had no choice but to accept the position because if he hadn’t it would have meant certain death for all his family. He was stuck between a rock and a hard place and had to accept that Sofia’s opinion of him had altered. On the other hand, I could also understand how Sofia felt. The person you loved so much was in a way complicet in the torture delivered by the SS to so many innocent men, women and children and you know this is wrong so how can you look at your father in the same light. When she visits Warsaw with her father and from a high up buiding can see the ghetto in which hundreds of thousands of Jews are imprisoned she comes to a stark realisation that it should have been her and her mother behind those walls living in a hole in a wall or overcrowded room. In one way her father through his actions has spared her because of his last name and because of his job acceptance but in another does guilt eat away at Sofia that she is getting away with things?
Sofia was a well written character whom I grew to really appreciate the further the story progressed. Both herself and her mother are strong, brave and courageous in that they go above and beyond to try and help the workers sent from the camp at Auschwitz who have to toil away on their land. Through this, Sofia establishes a connection with Isaac and although only brief moments can be snatched together you do feel the genuine love that develops between the pair. It’s love in the face of evil and you question given the shocking circumstances that unfold can it ever come to fruition where they can live in happiness side by side? Sofia isn’t afraid to face the darkness that grows stronger the further you delve into the story. It becomes all consuming but can there be any light at the end of the tunnel?
I found myself connecting more to Isaac’s story, not that I didn’t appreciate Sofia’s it’s just I think because he was going through a much tougher time and we really got indepth detail about the suffering he was enduring alongside his family I found I connected with him more and was more concerned for the eventual outcome for him and his sister Olivia. Isaac’s family were forced into the ghetto in Warsaw with promises from the Germans of safety and shelter which turned out to be utter lies. The earlier sections of the book set in the ghetto were so detailed and quite frankly horrific. Unfortunately, I could picture everything so clearly in my mind and these images have not left me long after I have finished reading the book. ‘It’s as if they’re trapped in a container without holes for air, and it’s only a matter of time before they all waste away’. This quote sums things up perfectly the situation Isaac is in. The scenes where the Jewish resistance attempt to battle against the German soldiers were utterly heartbreaking and the result of this sees Isaac and Olivia separated from their parents. Isaac has to now step up and be the father figure for Olivia who is only 14. There is still an air of innocence about her but this is soon quashed as the two are sent to Auschwitz and separated upon their arrival.
I felt the book took on a different tone once the sections set in Auschwitz began. I thought there had been too long spent describing the ghetto and what happened to the family there so when the camp was reached I thought things picked up pace and I was grateful for that. It meant periods of time occurred quickly, as they reached the camp in 1942 and there was still 3 years of the war to go through before the victory. Maybe just a little more balance between the two parts of the story was needed as at times it did read like a book of two halves and definitely the epilogue tried to fit too much in even though it was nice to see how things turned out in the end. I found Issac to be a fantastically written character and someone who wise beyond his years. I can’t say much as to what occurs regarding Isaac’s storyline but I found his unwavering strength and devotion to be admirable.
I can’t fail to mention Olivia. I was surprised she took such prominence as I initially thought the entire focus of the book would be on Sofia and Isaac. Her aspect of the story was raw, powerful, heartbreaking and will have you in tears. It’s but a small snapshot of what happened at Auschwitz but it hits you right to the core and makes the book all the better for its inclusion. Olivia is but one of many victims but her story stands out here for all she endured and the guilt that Isaac feels as he is separated from her and can’t prevent what is happening to her.
The Doctor’s Daughter is another interesting, thought provoking and hard hitting story from Shari J Ryan and fans of books set during World War Two will definitely enjoy it. Although it is the wrong word to use given the subject matter this is one of the better books in this genre and highlights how far family will go to protect and be there for one another.
Thank you so much for this amazing review!!! This means so much to me :).
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