I listened to the Audible version of this instead of reading it because the story is told from two perspectives: that of The Rosen family (Eidel - mom, Jacob - dad and Max - son) in Auschwitz and also that of Max at age 80 reflecting back. The nature of the two perspectives lends itself naturally to having two narrators, one for the story in Auschwitz and another for the elderly Max looking back over his life. The two perspectives intertwine well throughout the book though I found myself constantly wishing to hear more from Max about how he felt after the passage of time about the things that happened to his family. The story is well crafted, as expected from Jon Clinch and also well narrated. I enjoy well done historical fiction and this qualifies, placing the reader in the midst of the times and events of the story. ( )

A work of fiction by Jon Clinch centering on a painting of a dead Jewish girl. This book was gifted to me. There have been more evocative tales of Auschwitz than this one. It seemed as if the characters were flat, and I did not become emotionally involved with any of them. 276 pages ( )

Captured in their native Poland, Jacob and Eidel Rosen and children Max and Lydia arrive at Auschwitz. Men and women reside in separate quarters with little interaction. The family never sees Lydia again. Jacob wisely tells twelve-year-old Max to lie about his age to avoid the gas chamber where children are sent. The only thing remaining of Lydia is a portrait painted by Eidel which now hangs in an official's home. Will using that work of art as a bargaining chip boost the family's odds of survival? Read along to find out. Each chapter ends with a reflection by an elderly Max. The horrors of Nazi Germany's concentration camps always make me wonder how humans could treat others this way. Clinch captures the climate well, demonstrating both the prisoners' struggle for survival as well as the abuses they suffered. ( )

Barber Jacob Rosen, his artist wife Eidel, and their children, Max and Lydia, live an idyllic life in a mountain town in Poland. It’s remote, but not remote enough to escape the Nazi drive to exterminate the Jews of Europe. The Rosens are transported to Auschwitz, where the men and women are immediately separated. Since Max looks older than his years, Jacob instructs him to lie about his age so that he doesn’t go straight to the gas chambers with the other children. On the women’s side of the camp, Eidel assumes that her son is dead. Eventually, word reaches Eidel that her husband and son are still alive, and Jacob learns that Eidel is still alive as well. This knowledge gives them hope, but it also increases the danger for all of them. Any one of them could make a mistake that will end all of their lives, since their connection is known to the guards.

Holocaust fiction often disappoints since it’s hard to find the right balance between credibility and sentimentality. Clinch strikes the right balance. It’s a grim story, yet it doesn’t leave the reader feeling hopeless. Clinch chose to publish this book independently, and as a result it’s not available in many public libraries. This book is well worth any extra effort to acquire it. Highly recommended. ( )

The Thief of Auschwitz chronicles the fate of the Rosen family and their imprisonment in Auschwitz.

Jacob Rosen and his wife Eidel are sent to Auschwitz along with their 14 year old son Max and their young daughter Lydia. The family is immediately separated upon arrival at the camp. Max and Jacob to the men's camp and Eidel and Lydia to the women's camp. What follows is the story of what happens to Rosens at Auschwitz. One family's story of the horror of the camps.

The account is told from the perspective of Max as an elderly man, and the story shifts back and forth between his time in the camp and the current day.

Clinch manages to reveal the horror of life in the camp, and the nuances of the interactions among the prisoners themselves in their quest for survival. I've read many survivor memoirs as well as a handful of other novels, and I think Clinch does a very good job of telling this particular story. You come away with an understanding of the brutality without being hit over the head with it. ( )