The Auschwitz Violin

Translated by Martha Tennent.

An international sensation, The Auschwitz Violin is the unforgettable story of one man’s refusal to surrender his dignity in the face of history’s greatest atrocity.

In the winter of 1991, at a concert in Krakow, an older woman with a marvelously pitched violin meets a fellow musician who is instantly captivated by her instrument. When he asks how she obtained it, she reveals the remarkable story behind its origin.

Imprisoned at Auschwitz, Daniel feels his humanity slipping away. Treasured memories of the young woman he loved become hazier with each passing day. When Daniel’s former occupation as a crafter of fine violins is revealed to those running the concentration camp his very existence moves from being merely precarious to under immediate threat. The camp’s two most dangerous men make a cruel wager: if Daniel can build a beautiful violin within a certain number of days, the Kommandant wins a case of the finest burgundy. If not, the camp doctor gets hold of Daniel for use in his ‘experiments’. And so, battling malnutrition and exhaustion, Daniel tries to capture his lost art, knowing all too well the cost of failure.

Written with lyrical symplicity and haunting beauty, and chillingly interspersed with actual Nazi documentation, The Auschwitz Violin is more than just a novel: it is a testament to the strength of the human spirit and the power of beauty, art, and hope to triumph over the darkest adversity.