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The Girl in the Striped Dress

A completely heartbreaking and gripping World War 2 page-turner, inspired by a true story
Brief Description
Helena steps off the cattle train onto the grounds of Auschwitz, scheduled to be killed tomorrow, for a crime she didn't commit. When an officer marches towards Helena and pulls her away, she fears the worst. Instead, he tells her that it's one of the guard's... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
$2799
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Releases 11th August 2026 (Approx. Date) Pre-order  "The Girl in the Striped Dress" now to secure your copy from our first shipment

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Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

Helena steps off the cattle train onto the grounds of Auschwitz, scheduled to be killed tomorrow, for a crime she didn't commit.

When an officer marches towards Helena and pulls her away, she fears the worst. Instead, he tells her that it's one of the guard's birthdays and orders her to serenade him.

After she sings to the guard, Franz, he orders her life to be saved, forever changing the course of her fate.

What follows is a forbidden love story that saved both of their lives - and hundreds of others.

Fans of The Tattooist of Auschwitz, The Choice, and The Orphan Train will be utterly entranced by this unputdownable page-turner. This completely heartbreaking yet beautifully hopeful novel shows that love can survive anything and grow anywhere.

This book was previously published as Auschwitz Syndrome.

Readers love The Girl in the Striped Dress:

"Wow. Wow, wow, WOW. I almost have no words. This was an incredible, heart-wrenching read... Insanely captivating... I cried buckets reading this story... Wow... What a tale. I seriously can't get over this and I'm so glad I was able to read it." Goodreads reviewer

"Wow!! Time to clear your schedule for the afternoon, coffee pot on and phone turned off--you won't want to put this one down." Avid Reader

"I loved this... Wow! This stopped me in my tracks and made me shed a tear. We must never ever forget... Stunning." Nicki's Book Blog

"Once in a while, a book comes along your way that breaks your heart. The Girl in the Striped Dress is one such book that broke me from within, tore me apart and left me shattered." Next On Reading List

"Everyone needs to read this book!" Goodreads reviewer

"Amazing novel!... This was a fantastic story! And one that will stay with me for some time! The story is hard-hitting, dark and simply wonderful. Heartbreaking, horrifying, unimaginable and tear-worthy, you won't be able to put it away!... Ellie couldn't have done a better job writing this. It was mind blowing at times!... One that I will most definitely be talking about!" Goodreads reviewer

"Had me in tears and I had to put the book down on a number of occasions to compose myself... Have plenty of tissues handy." Goodreads reviewer

"Tremendous... The book was unputdownable... Guaranteed to make you cry. The story was so beautifully written."

Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781836188261

Publisher: Bookouture

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 07 May 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bookouture

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 32.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 265g

Pages: 384

About the Author

Ellie Midwood is a USA Today bestselling and award-winning historical fiction author. She owes her interest in the history of the Second World War to her grandfather, Junior Sergeant in the 2nd Guards Tank Army of the First Belorussian Front, who began telling her about his experiences on the frontline when she was a young girl. Growing up, her interest in history only deepened and transformed from reading about the war to writing about it. After obtaining her BA in Linguistics, Ellie decided to make writing her full-time career and began working on her first full-length historical novel, The Girl from Berlin.' Ellie is continuously enriching her library with new research material and feeds her passion for WWII and Holocaust history by collecting rare memorabilia and documents.

In her free time, Ellie is a health-obsessed yoga enthusiast, neat freak, adventurer, Nazi Germany history expert, polyglot, philosopher, a proud Jew, and a doggie mama. Ellie lives in New York with her fiance and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.

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