Kasia

One of the novel’s chief protagonists, Kasia is only 16 years old when she is taken to Ravensbrück. Snatched from her life in Lublin, Poland, when Nazi soldiers arrest her for her work in the Polish underground, Kasia is suddenly dropped into the bowels of Hell when she arrives at Ravensbrück. Chosen to be a patient for Dr. Herta Oberhauser’s sulfanomide experiments, Kasia’s leg is horrifically operated on while at camp, making walking nearly impossible and leaving her leg stripped of bone, fat and muscle.

While Kasia is under operation, her mother disappears and Kasia blames herself for Matka’s death. Her self-blame grows into a toxic hate that will follow her throughout the novel, until she eventually confronts Dr. Herta Oberhauser at the novel’s conclusion and learns the truth behind her mother’s disappearance. After her escape from camp, Kasia moves back...