Part of Series
Auschwitz, 1943: I stroke my beautiful baby’s hair. It’s a miracle it’s blonde because it will keep her alive, it will keep her safe. Soon they will come and take Pippa out of Auschwitz-Birkenau – and out of my arms. But while there’s life, there’s hope I might find my daughter again… An incredible story of one woman’s courage and determination to reunite her family in the aftermath of surviving Auschwitz. 1945, Ester Pasternak walked out of the gates of Auschwitz barely alive. She survived against devastating odds, but her heartbreaking journey is only just beginning. In the camp, Ester gave birth to a tiny fair-haired infant, only for her precious baby to be snatched from her and taken to a German family. Now the war is over, Ester longs to find her little girl. But Europe is in chaos, Jewish families have been torn apart and everyone is desperately searching for their loved ones. In every orphanage and hospital she visits, Ester searches the faces of tear-stained toddlers; each mop of blonde hair and pair of blue eyes she sees sets her heart racing… But as the months and the years tick by, the possibility of finding her daughter shrinks smaller and smaller. And Ester starts to wonder if little Pippa is even safe, or whether the miracle that saved her has now put her in even more danger? Will Ester ever be able to find the child whose tattoo matches her own? Or is she already too late… A completely gripping and emotional WW2 novel of one woman’s bravery and determination to hold on to hope in a world torn apart by war. Perfect for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Alice Network and The Nightingale . Why readers love The Midwife ‘ Wow … literally pulled my heart out of my chest … had me feeling all of the emotions .’ Spooky's Maze Of Books, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Absolutely heartbreaking … sobbed my heart out near the end of the book … AMAZING!! ’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Heartbreaking yet also heart-warming … beautifully written … my favorite reads of 2022!! ’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Absolutely stunning … pulled me out of a reading slump and bought me to tears … heart-wrenching … The tragedy mixed with a tale of friendship, survival and motherhood. The ending had me in tears at my desk at work .’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ More than five stars … Definitely a page-turner … the best one I’ve read this year .’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Captured my heart … so immersed in the story it was hard to put it down … will grip you from start to finish & I just curled up in my own little world until I finished it … touching heartbreaking read… an absorbing story you do not want to miss .’ NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ A must-read, one of books of this year for sure … such a heartbreaking story … You will need plenty of tissues to get through this real-life story … The emotions I went through reading this book were unbelievable … I loved it. ’ Echoes in an Empty Room, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Gripping … completely heartbreaking … I couldn't put this one down, I read it in almost one sitting… Heart-wrenching ... I loved it .’NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ Almost impossible to put down … Truly a one-of-a-kind novel... A haunting story, that stays with the reader, long after the last page is turned .’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ ‘ A must-read for fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz and The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas . I stayed up far too late reading this one .’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Author
I wanted to be an author from the moment I could pick up a pen and was writing boarding-school novels by the age of nine. I made the early mistake of thinking I ought to get a ‘proper job’ and went into Factory Planning – a career that gave me some wonderful experiences, amazing friends and even a fantastic husband, but didn’t offer much creative scope. So when I stopped to have children I took the chance to start the ‘improper job’ of writing. During the baby years I wrote in the brief gaps provided by sleeps, playschools and obliging grandparents, publishing short stories and serials in all the women’s magazines. But my ultimate aim was to write longer fiction and several years ago I published a series of successful historical novels under the pseudonym Joanna Courtney. I will continue to publish under that name but am delighted, as Anna Stuart, to also be able to write contemporary fiction. Bonnie and Stan is a true to life romance set in both the present day and sixties Liverpool and Four Minutes to Save a Life is a domestic drama about how small acts of kindness might just change the world!
