Historical fiction at its best…in the same way as Ann Frank’s diary helped…

With all the profits from all my books going to help get dogs out of kill shelters, I’m grateful to every one who has purchased a book and taken the time to write a review.

Below are some of the latest review for my book The Seven Year Dress.

5.0 out of 5 starsAN EXCELLENT BOOK

ByBooks R Beston June 5, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

Books written about this period of history play a very important part in keeping alive the memory of a shameful time and appalling behaviour. Not only is it a comment on the historical facts but it’s also an excellent read. I could identify with the main character, even though she lived in a different time and place. The story moved forward and it kept me turning the pages. What a clever title. This is not the first book I’ve read by this author and I will look out for more of her books.

5.0 out of 5 starsA heartbreaking story of survival against all odds.

ByLoveLiton June 4, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

The Seven Year Dress by Pauletter Mahurin is the compelling story of Helen Stein, from her first impressions of Hitler’s Germany as a child and the effect of his takeover on the life of her family, to her last days as a survivor in Auschwitz. The first person narrative brings a terrifying reality to the story, transforming us with her from a naive young girl to a strong survivor. Holocost stories are never easy to read, yet each one is important to our understanding of how such a thing could happen, and this is no exception. Mahurin has a gift for delving into the deepest feelings of the human soul, making the reader question: what would I have done in these circumstances? Mahurin has given us another heartfelt, compelling read. I give it five stars.

5.0 out of 5 starsSurvival in the Midst of Mayhem

ByArletta Dawdyon June 4, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Paulette Mahurin has an uncanny ability to zero in on issues and characters that illuminate our history and the human condition in unusual and profound stories. Based on a real character and her mind-numbing experiences in World War II, THE SEVEN YEAR DRESS is a finely wrought tale of horror, pain and one woman’s determination to survive. That she did so is remarkable; that she shared her story with Mahurin is very, very special.The author is a supremely gifted writer whose previous books have had a strong impact on this reader/writer. I appreciate her close attention to detail, the intense study of human nature and the sadness that envelops the story only to end in survival and hope.

5.0 out of 5 starshistorical fiction at its best

ByBillon 2 June 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

Paulette Mahurin has undertaken a fictionalisation of a true story, set during one of the darkest periods in human history. I have always had an interest in the story of the Holocaust and so this book interested me from the outset.
I found that the author had done her research meticulously, not only concerning the personal story of Helen Stein, but also the background of political events in Europe. Her treatment of the characters in the story was admirable, they came to life and grabbed the sympathy of the reader. Although the book is about such dark subject matter, in fact I cannot imagine any subject matter being more so, it is not a depressing read. The love the characters shared, the human kindnesses and the resilience of the human spirit even in the darkest of times, shone through. This is historical fiction at its best and I recommend it highly.

5.0 out of 5 starsThere are moments that are uncomfortable and make us cringe and feel terrible for Helen

ByCruikshank1964on June 6, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition

There are occasional books that we find that can examine a piece of history with the sort of overarching power that will make a person stop and reevaluate their own life. This is just one such book, and it does an incredible job of focusing on and detailing a piece of history that is shameful and terrifying. There are moments that are uncomfortable and make us cringe and feel terrible for Helen, but if there weren’t moments like that then the book wouldn’t be doing what it set out to do.

I love this book, and everything else by Paulette, and I can’t wait to see what she has up her sleeve next. Highly recommended for anyone interested in examining and learning about history.

5.0 out of 5 starsTo Survive the Abyss of evil,

ByChristina Steineron June 4, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

A heart wrenching story of Nazy Germany. It is a dark time when Helen Stein reaches maturity. Germany is asunder, the faith of the jewish people doomed. It’s difficult to understand what motivated humankind to sink into this abyss of evil.
Paulette Mahurin does gives a great narration of hope and defeat, through the eyes of a Holocaust survivor. Helen’s best childhood friend, a homosexual German, his own faith theetering due to his sexual orientation, joins the SS to save himself and to help Helen and her brother escape and hide in the country. But the tale unfolds from terrible to worse.
The story, though labeled fiction, feels like true memories of a Holocaust victim. Though difficult to read and comprehend the darkness of that time, it soars with determination of survival, and tiny acts of kindness, which give hope for humanity.

5.0 out of 5 starsShould be read by everyone !

ByBillon 1 June 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

This is one of my favorite authors and I am happy to report this is yet another excellent book! The story of Germany through the thirties and second world war is brought vividly to life through the story of one Jewish family and in particular the young daughter – Helen. We journey with her through life, from an idyllic childhood, to sexual awakening, to the death of her family and the full horrors of life in a concentration camp. The story is horrific in places as it charts tragic real events. However, I could not stop reading and have finished the book in one morning.
There are moments of lightness in the book, which include brief moments of love and laughter as the human spirit struggles to deal with impossible horror. The characters are wonderfully vivid and there is a great sense of realism throughout the book. Max is a welcome addition to the story and provides all of us with the image of how we would have liked to behave in similar circumstances but the reality was far more complex.
I loved this book and feel it would make great reading for every young person at school, in the same way Ann Frank’s Diary has helped children connect with such an important part of history. Reading this book may help future generations understand the past and not repeat the same mistakes.

5.0 out of 5 starsAn Important Read

Bybookworm81on 31 May 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

The holocaust is not a new reading subject for me, but very rarely have I read a book on the topic that goes so deeply into the human experience of the tragedy. The Seven Year Dress follows young German Jew Helen Stein through the atrocities of Nazi Germany. Helen comes from a loving, working-class family that reminded me of my own and this made the terrible injustices they suffered all the more real and appalling.
The power of this book comes from not only the fact that Helen’s family is very relatable, but also through her ability to find beauty in even the most horrific of situations. Through beautiful prose, Paulette Mahurin describes the way Helen has a new appreciation for the beautiful colours of light, or the smell of soup after hiding in a farmhouse cellar for several years. Even amongst the horrors of Auschwitz, Helen finds lasting friendship and many examples of human goodness.
But for all the goodness Helen is able to find, The Seven Year Dress is a harrowing read. It is also a beautiful and important one that is not to be missed.

 

5.0 out of 5 starsNot Just Another Holocaust Book

ByChrison May 31, 2016

Format: Kindle Edition|Verified Purchase

The Seven Year Dress

I had previously read The Persecution of Mildred Dunlap by Paulette Mahurin. It was one of those books that stuck with you. I can say the same for her newest work, The Seven Year Dress. I bought the Kindle version, and even though I had several library books on my Kindle application that were due back I read The Seven Year Dress instead because after I read a couple of chapters I couldn’t put it down.

The main character, Helen Stein, is painted skillfully with delicate brush strokes in the beginning. They become appropriately harsher as we get into her plight of being in hiding and then in a concentration camp. I don’t think this is a spoiler as the title and picture on the cover gives that bit away.

Even though this is a fictional account, we are told in the Forward that there was a real Helen Stein and that she shared her story. For me that made it even more worth the read. There are so many books on the Holocaust. This one truly stands out. Mahuran is a brilliant storyteller and has a knack for capturing the emotions of her characters.

 

PURCHASE LINK FOR ALL MY BOOKS: http://www.amazon.com/Paulette-Mahurin/e/B008MMDUGO/ref=dp_byline_cont_ebooks_1

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