I feel I read a different book than everyone else. I thought the writing was very juvenile at times and the weird huge white gaps in the text was annoying and distracting. I also just felt the story was any depth. I didn't get to know any of the characters, until after the camps. The book felt very rushed and it didn't know where to go. I know the book was self published and commend the author for writing a book and publishing it on her own, but it might have been better with a publishing company to help flesh out the story. Mindy426

3.5*read-in-2020 Kim70 Read

Good Elizabeth Gerich48

Thought this started out as many others in this genre, but it took an unexpected twist and kept my interest going. Matt Zanella60 3

What an incredible journey through an insanely horrific time period in world history. The author made me feel a personal connection to the charcters as they continued to find ways to cope with terrible situation after terrible situation. There were many sections of the book which brought tears of sadness to my eyes. Jenny KnipferAuthor 12 books426

I found A Thousand Mothers an inspiring and hopeful story despite the depiction of the horrific circumstances of the Nazi death camps. I had to take breaks between readings. The suffering of the characters became real as I read.

The story unfolds in part at the camps through different perspectives, which all revolve around keeping one baby alive. The second half of the book tells the story of the survivors and their lives after. The story is ripe with history and well-researched.

I would have given this book a 4 1/2 star, if that had been an option. I found the varied view points throughout the book a little confusing. I think the story would have benefited from less perspectives. Time stamps at the beginning of chapters would have been helpful as well.

All in all, Webb wove an intricate tale of hope in the darkest of times. Amy ShannonAuthor 108 books122

Powerful

Webb pens an intensely remarkable story in A Thousand Mothers. I was immediately drawn into this story the minute I read the Introduction, backed up by the Prologue. I've read this book in one sitting, but sometimes, I just had to put it down, before I could continue on. The story brings to life the horrors and strengths of survivors and victims in WWII Germany. This story was both powerful, raw, horrifying, and magnificent. The words of the author flow across the page, painting a story for the reader, without hesitation because of the subject matter. The story as a whole both shook me and enticed me. "Nothing could have prepared Perl for what happened next as the rough hands of a female guard grabbed her and shaved off her hair. She was mortified as male and female SS guards pointed and laughed at her and the other degraded women." I look forward to reading more by this author. It's too bad that the highest rating is only 5 stars. This read is definitely recommended by Amy's Bookshelf Reviews. Jean RobertsAuthor 11 books176

Reviewers Note: I was given a free copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Plot: A Thousand Mothers is the moving story of a group of women who come together in Ravensbruck, a Nazi Concentration Camp in Germany, to save the life of a newborn child.

Characters: The first half of the book focuses on a large group of women who steal, lie, cheat death, and allow unspeakable things to happen to themselves and others, in order to preserve the life of Flora, an infant born at the camp. Against a backdrop of brutality and the constant killing of prisoners, the women sacrifice themselves for this child. For a while, I feared there might really be a thousand mothers. Because there are so many of them, I had a hard time keeping track of who was who and had to go back and reread bits to refresh my memory. It was difficult to see much difference in their personalities.

Part two of the book whizzes through Flora’s life after she is rescued from Nazi Germany and adopted into an American family. Her early life is given a brief outline before the final segment of the book which takes place when she is a grandmother. We learn what became of many of the women who protected Flora as a baby as she reconnects with her past. There is a whole new set of characters to keep up with in this part. The story is told in third person omniscient, so the voice and point of view changes rapidly as well.

The History: Webb nails the history of Ravensbruck, in all its gory details. The plight of the women, each from a different background, is terrifying. The conditions of the camp are told in graphic detail as is the despicable nature of the German prison guards, doctors and staff. I do have to say, not to diminish what anyone suffered in these camps, I thought there might have been too much focus on the atrocities which I found took away from the story.

The Writing: The writing is good, the book well edited. I don’t third person omniscient as a point of view, but I understand why the author chose it, with so many characters, clamoring to get her attention.

Overall: It might sound as if I didn’t enjoy this book, which is not true, I did. I found the story of Flora compelling and well told. But, I was overwhelmed by the cast of characters, and sorry that I did not know them better.

Recommendation: I would recommend this story to anyone who enjoys historical fiction, stories of determined women, readers interested in holocaust stories and Jewish history. There is a lot of death and dying in this book, as one should expect in a book set in a death camp, so reader beware.

I rate this book 4 stars.
Tiffany72

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