La cinta roja
Lucy Adlington
Publicado: 2017 | 184 páginas
Novela Histórico

Dentro de Auschwitz se encuentra un taller de costura como ningún otro. Una conmovedora historia de amistad y heroísmo, basada en hechos reales. A sus catorce años y en su primer día de trabajo, Ella se adentra en un mundo de sedas, tijeras, alfileres y bordados. Pero ése no es un taller de costura normal. Ni las suyas son clientas corrientes.

Ella ha conseguido un puesto de trabajo en el taller de costura de Birchwood. Prisionera en ese campo de concentración, cada vestido que diseña puede suponer la diferencia entre la vida y la muerte. Los recuerdos del pasado, la pasión por su trabajo y el mundo de la moda y los tejidos serán el refugio para superar esa realidad terrible.

Walking home from school, Ella was arrested by the Nazi's and sent to Birchwood, a concentration camp. Lying about her age, she becomes one of the seamstresses, creating fabulous dresses for the wives of Nazi leadership and female SS officers. Ella becomes friends with Rose, another worker in the sewing workshop. Together, they do everything they can to survive.

This was a well written and engaging young adult novel. I didn't particularly like how the author renamed things - i.e. Birchwood for Auschwitz-Birkenau, Department Store for Canada. It took away from the authenticity of the book. Despite this criticism, I would recommend this book and read more from this author. ( )

As a high school English teacher with an ever-expanding classroom library I find it difficult to find high interest historical fiction for teen readers. This is a new perspective concerning the life of concentration camp prisoners and the information provided about every day life is the type of information most students crave to understand.
I would recommend this for any classroom. ( )

"The Red Ribbon" was okay, but not great. As a protagonist, I felt Ella was rather selfish and self-serving, and too focused on her sewing considering she was in Auschwitz. However, I did admire her determination to survive. Personally, I preferred her friend, Rose, who was a gentler, more caring girl, although she also frustrated me on more than one occasion.

For me "The Red Ribbon" gave an unrealistic view of a concentration camp, although, being aimed at a younger audience, the author may have done this deliberately. This was supposed to be Auschwitz but the prisoners seemed to have more freedoms than any other book I've read about this notorious death camp. Also, the ending was too sickly-sweet and unrealistic for my liking.

However, I did like the friendships that Ella formed whilst working as a seamstress in Auschwitz and it showed the bonds that were developed between prisoners as they tried desperately to the survive the cruelties of the Nazis. ( )

I really enjoyed this book! I received it free to preview.
Fourteen-year-old, Jewish teen, Ella is taken to the Aushwitz concentration camp. She lies about her age to gain employment in the shop that makes couture fashion wear for the wives of the camp's Nazi officers and female SS officers. There she joins 20 other emaniciated women prisoners who sew to stay alive and will anything to keep their spot at the shop. Ella befriends Rose, a political prisoner, who also works at the sewing shop. Their life is full of pain, desperation, and distrust; but their joined courage and hope keeps each other strong.
Although I've read several books about the WW2 concentration camp experiences, I learned new ways in which the prisoners were harassed and degraded. I never knew about the black market storage shed that contained confiscated prisoner articles or the fact that prisoners were given clothing and shoes whether they fit or matched. I was not surprised by the extent that the desire to stay alive will force the actions of desperate people, and the love and humbleness of others.
As a retired K-12 Teacher Librarian, I think this book would make a suitable addition to the middle school to high school library. It is appealing to the inquisitive reader, but not '"too difficult" for the reluctant reader. The book is a 'gentler' introduction to WW2 prisoner experiences. ( )