Finding Rebecca

I rarely write reviews but having finished this book last night and still feeling angry I felt I must. The book follows a romance between a young man born in Germany and brought up in Jersey and his Jewish girlfriend. Which is fine, except that the protagonist ends up as an SS soldier, working at Auschwitz, having (though a series of unlikely moves, never successfully explained) managed to become a sort of accounting nazi. The book shows him being shocked to find out that Jews are being murdered there, and then he goes on to try and save some of them, but mainly to try and locate the Rebecca of the title and save her by bringing her to Auschwitz (erm,yeah, because that's obviously SUCH a good place to be a Jew). The plot is so unlikely you could laugh except this is no laughing matter. There was no 'Angel of Auschwitz' saving children and I don't think the author has a right to insert one just to create a love story. The person known as the Angel of Auschwitz was Gisella Perl, a Jewish Hungarian doctor. Her (true) story is harrowing and frankly I'm not O.K with her title being used for Dempseys fictional character. I don't think it's respectful to play around with this part of history. What if some gullible person reads this and thinks it's based on fact? The author manages to show us children dying, women beaten to death and yet somehow has sanitised the events. At the end we find out that the missing Rebecca has managed to escape, married and joined Mossad. Again; the author just states these unlikely things have happened but without adequately explaining how, it's ll just there to move the plot on. I suggest that Mr Dempsey spend an awful lot more time researching his next book, so he can explain things properly. I also think he might consider how this book might read to someone who lost their family at Auschwitz. Sorry to be so outspoken in my criticism, which I want to point out is aimed at the book, not the author. He can obviously write, but I think he needs to think about his subject more.

I gave this book two stars as I actually read it to the end. A good idea for a novel but it just didn't work. The characters had no depth and the writing did not flow, although the language was easy. Although the story took place during horrific times I felt no emotion for the characters. As other readers have pointed out, there was a lot of padding. I would not recommend this book.

I chose to give this book 5 stArs as I literally could not put the book down and I didn't want it to end either . Not just a love story an insight of life on Jersey during ww2 of the hardship endured by its citizens ,and the terror of what happened should you have been a Jew or a German on the island . Loved the ending .

By far my most favourite book of 2018. Oh my it was a page turner. Yet at times the cruelly of the Germans left me quite shocked and horrified. However the pride determination of the innocent people in this camp absolutely humbled me. Also the bravery of the main character, maybe he didn’t speak up his quiet subtle way of protecting the innocent was the better way. Despite at times my frustration with him x.

Very moving story of a German man's search for his Jewish girlfriend during the Second World War. Christopher Seeley becomes an SS officer so he can search for her at Auschwitz-Birkenau. This is where the book becomes very harrowing with descriptions of the dreadful things the concentration camp inmates had to suffer. But it is ultimately an uplifting book. I have docked one star only because I thought there were brief stretches of the book which could have been sharper and the odd Americanism also stopped the flow for this Brit! On the whole though, an excellent story, well told.

A hard story told with honesty and sensitivity. Every book I read about the camps and the SS leaves me feeling dumbfounded at the cruelty. But also amazement at the survivors and what they did to save others. The human spirit may undergo many hardships, but in the end, we are fighters and I hope we would do all we can to stamp out evil.

First book I've read from this author.it won't be my last.fantastic read heartbreaking story.Christopher and his family are Germans living in Jersey as kids meets rebecca on a beach crying they become friends and fall in love.war starts Germans take over rebecca has to leave as she's Jewish. he ends up trying to find her in a death camp.with dreadful inhumane killings.will he find her.fantastic read.

As I read the final pages of the book I saw that this is Eoin Dempseys first novel! All I can say is I can't wait to read his next books. I just loved this; I couldn't put it down. Beautifully written and such an interesting subject, it's not often an author can successfully write about finding beauty in the depths of hell. I have recommended this book to many people and I just hope that one day they make it in to a film.Congratulations Mr Dempsey on your first novel, you have absolutely nailed it!! I know that I Will be thinking about the story for a long time and will no doubt be reading it again. This has to be in the top 5 books I have ever read, my opinion Eoin Dempsey is an author to keep watching.

In der Schilderung des mehrjährigen Zeitraums, in dem der Roman spielt - zunächst zu Beginn der Machtergreifung durch A.H.und der Zeit des wachsenden Erfolgs des Nationalsozialismus und danach in der Zeit zu Beginn und während des 2. Weltkrieges verrät der Verfasser E.D. eine ganz eindrucksvolle Detailkenntnis auch völlig interner Fakten, wie er sie auch in seinem Roman White Rose, Black Forest erkennen lässt. Als Zeitzeuge bin ich überrascht, wie genau der relativ junge Verfasser die dramatischen Geschehnisse recherchiert haben muss. Schonungslos und durch die Schilderung immer wieder bis an die Grenze des Erträglichen reichende Vorgänge vermag er den Zustand und das Leben im KZ Auschwitz zu darzustellen, wobei eine Liebesgeschichte sich wie ein roter Faden durch die schreckliche Zeit zieht ...

Loved this book. Very well written and the dialogue flows. We all want to think there were good SS men out there but history lets us know they were few in fact. This story lets us think and imagine that those who did help were able to be recognised and remembered.

This book was another hard to put down - the horrors endured by the Jews is indescribable, however the author spares no mercy in the telling of the horrors they had to endure, how people can be so cruel makes for sober reading. I note that some other reviewers have been critical of some aspects of the book as being 'unbelievable' or 'incorrect' - but it fiction with 'history' interwoven and is is an captivating and emotional read. The ending was not what i saw coming and it was a great read to finish of an emotional and inspiring story.

A book written from a Germans perspective during the most inhuman and horrific time in history. Proving that love is strong and the will do anything to save those important to you really shines through this book. Certain parts are graphic and heart breaking although I highly recommend this to those who love reading historical literature.

The atrocities committed are shocking and I had to leave the story and come back .An amazing story of life in the circumstances of war .Felt the ending fell short .However , I enjoyed the story .

I wasn't sure about reading this book as I knew there would be emotional and ethically challenging scenes - and there is!Tough reading and too real at times when black and white images enter my head as the ghastly treatment of Jewish people is related!Some parts feel a little too convenient, but overall it is a well written story line...The things we do for love...

This was such a wonderful book. I was so sorry it had to end. I remember the war and this brought back so many memories. I was lucky enough to be born in Australia, so was far removed from the awful things that happened,but what really happened in Europe is told so well in this book,and I shed a few tears for the real people who lived during the real life...

Eoin Dempsey spins a slightly unbelievable yet entertaining story about a life-long friendship and love affair that even reached into the Auschwitz concentration camp and. surprise, surprise, had a happy ending. Not bad for the author's first attempt. I prefered his other two books.

This is one of those books that had me tired all day for fault of not being able to stop myself from reading “just a couple more pages” the previous night, only to do the same thing the next evening, and the next, until I ran out of pages.The simple, directly descriptive writing creates clear imagery of the virgin beaches and country roads in Jersey, pre-war Berlin and - most of all - the horror of the concentration camps. Christopher and Rebecca are strong characters and I really wanted things to work out for them, no matter how impossible it seemed.Bravo, Mr. Dempsey. Looking forward to the next one!

The main character would never be able to do what he did. Even if it was just a novel, the story should be credible.

I found this kept me interested through out the story. It enabled me to have an insight to how the Jews were persecuted. I felt some of the pain the people must have suffered. The author allowed the reader to be drawn into the lives of the character's.

Sometimes this book is well written, and sometimes its not. The story line is just a little too convenient. It jumped the shark when Chris rescued the little girl. I mean, come on! I didn't finish it.

I found it a bit slow but nonetheless interesting to start and then it swung into gear. Nicely written and a good story.

I loved this story very hard to put down. World war 2 Stories are very interesting and terrible makes you realise how lucky we are.

Good story line. I enjoyed this book