My Review:
This book is told in differing timelines and is quite immersive.
What people will do to survive and help others survive when there are little options available is well rooted within the characters.
Poland really suffered during the 2nd World War and Ellie really puts this into perspective in telling the story of Franceska / Ava and those around her.
Having lost contact with her sister during one of those horrific Nazi raids, she ends up dancing at Hotel Polska. The entertainment hub for the local Nazis.
After witnessing the public hanging of a resistance fighter changes something in Fransceska and her purpose becomes clear. Lives must be saved at any cost.
Fake passports, murders, escape plans, safe houses, the story is intense, risky and a must read for those who enjoy story’s of survival and its costs, peppered with confusion and determination.
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 fiancé and their Chihuahua named Shark Bait.
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The Hotel Dancer
Ellie Midwood
Amazon: https://geni.us/B0H4H6MLSYsocial
She checks the ties on her dancing shoes under the spotlight at the Germans’ favorite hotel. She moves automatically, her body remembering the steps, even though her mind is screaming at the danger she is in. The soldiers must never know she is Jewish. And that she is helping her fellow Jews escape…
Warsaw, 1943: Every night, Franceska dances at the most dangerous hotel in Poland. She knows which floorboards creak on the stage, which waiters are clumsy, and which officers like to be smiled at.
After her performance, one strap of her black silk dress sliding off her shoulder, she sips champagne with the terrifying SS commander who is determined to rid the streets of Jewish people. She charms him in the soft candlelight, hoping he might lead her to her missing sister. And she prays he misses the glances she exchanges with the man in the corner of the dining room, who is helping her smuggle Jewish people into the hotel and to safety.
The war has stolen so much from Franceska. She has almost nobody left in the world, and little to lose. But as she bewitches the soldiers with her dancing and flattery, extracting details that will help her in her quest, will she pay with the ultimate sacrifice? For as she fights the dark, she can no longer hide in the dark…
Fans of The Midwife of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will fall in love with this heartbreakingly beautiful book about the terrible choices women needed to make to survive. The Hotel Dancer is an account of incredible bravery in the face of fear, inspired by a true story.
What everyone is saying about The Hotel Dancer:
“I read this with my heart in my throat. Franceska’s story broke me and put me back together in the same night” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Emotional and powerful… Only Ellie Midwood could have you feeling furious, heartbroken, panicked, and awe-inspired in such a short period – in my eyes she is the queen of historical fiction!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Completely pulled me in. It’s heartbreaking, intense, and beautifully written… I found myself reading faster and faster because I just needed to know what would happen next. Emotional, gripping, and unforgettable. Definitely a 5-star read for me.’ Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A heartbreakingly beautiful book… What wonderful characters … I was totally invested in their stories. I laughed along with them, cried tears of sorrow along with them and held my breath waiting to see what happened next.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“I was gripped, reading long into the night… Loved it.” NetGalley reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“Adored this book, for all lovers of history and good storytelling. You will not be able to put it down because you will have to know what happens! It definitely kept me glued to the pages as you race to the end and you will be disappointed that’s it’s finished I was!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A heart-wrenching prologue… My heart was in my mouth at the end. A worthy heroine.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“As gripping as it is heartbreaking… Beautifully written, emotionally powerful, and impossible to forget. Five stars without hesitation.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A very emotional read… Highly recommend… totally worth 5 stars.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
“A powerful historical novel that I just could not put down… I thoroughly enjoyed The Hotel Dancer. It was a powerful book that must be read.” ChristianBookaholic, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
ISBN: 9781807220983
Publication Date: 04 September 2026
Inspired by my PMDD 
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