By Jana Petken
The war has come to an end, but the fight is far from over. The death camps have been liberated, yet those who survived carry mental and physical scars that will haunt them for the rest of their lives.
The doctors who committed crimes against humanity, carrying out brutal experiments on prisoners without consent in the name of science, now stand trial. Witnesses gather to give evidence, recounting the unimaginable horrors they endured.
Malina Dostler is one of those witnesses. A German Romani survivor of Ravensbrück Concentration Camp, Malina still bears the scars of the experimental surgeries inflicted upon her, while her mind remains haunted by the horrors she endured. Taking the stand against her abusers offers a chance to reclaim her voice and help bring them to justice. Yet one question lingers over the proceedings: can she be trusted to reveal everything the court needs to hear in order to convict those responsible?
'The Rabbits of Ravensbrück' by Jana Petken is a devastatingly powerful novel, offering an unflinching glimpse into one of history's darkest chapters. It is the kind of story that leaves readers in tears, unable to pull themselves away until the final page.
Josh Steinbock's assignment for the United States of America v. Karl Brandt et al. trial is not the courtroom work he trained for, but it is no less essential. Before witnesses can testify, they must relive their experiences, provide detailed statements, and prepare themselves for the relentless cross-examinations they are certain to face. That responsibility falls to Josh. As he listens to their testimonies and records their memories, he becomes both investigator and confidant.
The reader shares Josh's journey. He knows little of the stories he is about to hear, and as the witnesses recount their suffering and he visits the camps now occupied by the Americans and Russians, the full scale of the atrocities gradually unfolds. It is a powerful way of revealing the horrors of the Holocaust, allowing both Josh and the reader to uncover the truth together.
One of the novel's greatest strengths is its portrayal of the many groups persecuted by the Nazi regime. While the Jewish people suffered the greatest losses, the Nazis sought to eradicate countless others they considered undesirable or threatening to their vision of the Aryan race. Through its varied cast, the novel explores several concentration camps and the differing forms of imprisonment and medical experimentation endured there.
Malina's story begins in Auschwitz before she is transferred to Ravensbrück, while Father Andreas Meyer, another key witness, survived Dachau. By following prisoners from different camps, the novel demonstrates the vast reach of the Nazi regime and the systematic nature of its crimes, creating a broad and deeply affecting portrayal of this period in history.
This is not a novel that shields its readers from the truth. The brutality inflicted within the camps is depicted with uncompromising realism, forcing the reader to confront how such unimaginable cruelty could have been inflicted upon fellow human beings.
Even secondary characters leave a lasting impression. Walter, once a doctor himself before becoming a prisoner at Ravensbrück, provides a particularly moving perspective. His oath to do no harm is cruelly contrasted with the horrific acts he is forced to witness as fellow physicians abandon every principle of medicine in pursuit of barbaric experimentation.
This is certainly not a novel for the faint-hearted. The scenes are deeply disturbing and, at times, almost unbearable to read. Yet Jana Petken balances this harrowing realism with compelling storytelling. The shifts between the post-war investigation and the memories of the camps are seamless, creating a narrative that is both emotionally devastating and utterly absorbing. Whether driven by compassion for the victims or the desperate need to see justice served, it is impossible not to keep turning the pages.
As Josh learns more about Malina's past, his compassion for her grows naturally. It would be impossible to hear her story without being deeply moved. Before long, that compassion develops into something more, yet Josh cannot ignore the feeling that she is withholding parts of her testimony. Those omissions could influence whether justice is fully served, and allowing his emotions to cloud his judgement threatens everything he has been working towards.
Watching Josh's feelings develop is genuinely heartwarming. Malina sees herself as broken, believing her future has been stolen and that both her body and spirit have been irrevocably damaged. Seeing even the smallest glimmer of hope return to her life offers a welcome light within an otherwise heartbreaking story.
The use of multiple narrators is another of the novel's greatest achievements. Not only does it allow the author to explore different camps and experiences, but it also presents the perspectives of both victims and perpetrators.
For Malina and Father Andreas Meyer, the narrative follows their imprisonment and eventual liberation. Yet the story also enters the minds of those who served the Nazi regime through the viewpoints of SS-Sturmbannführer Christian Bloss and Dora Monhaupt. Dora's chapters are particularly fascinating. The young woman indoctrinated through Nazi propaganda bears little resemblance to the guard Malina later encounters, wielding a wooden truncheon with brutal efficiency. Watching ordinary people transformed into willing participants in unimaginable cruelty is as disturbing as it is compelling.
The portrayal of Christian Bloss is especially skilful. Although not one of the doctors performing the surgeries, he played a role in funding the experiments and witnessed many of the procedures himself, making him equally complicit. Yet his relationship with Malina introduces an unsettling moral complexity.
Bloss occasionally shows her small acts of kindness, bringing her food and attempting to protect her, even when those efforts ultimately fail. These moments, combined with Malina's symptoms of Stockholm syndrome and Bloss's own narrative chapters, deliberately blur the distinction between victim and perpetrator. The reader is left questioning their own reactions, just as those attending the trial must separate emotion, manipulation, and memory from objective truth. It is an intelligent psychological thread that adds remarkable depth to an already emotionally charged novel.
Heartbreaking, thought-provoking, and impossible to forget, 'The Rabbits of Ravensbrück' is an exceptional work of historical fiction. Jana Petken has combined meticulous historical research with compelling storytelling to create a novel that honours the victims while exploring the complexities of justice, trauma, and survival. It is a powerful reminder of humanity at its very worst, but also of the extraordinary resilience of those who lived through it.
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