Dita Kraus' youth ended when she was 9 years old. On that dark day in March 15, 1939, the German army, led by Adolf Hitler, invaded what remained of the Czechoslovakian Republic, sealing the fate of the Czech Jews. First imprisoned in the Terezín ghetto near Prague with her father and her mother, the entire family is sent to Auschwitz to be part of a Nazi experiment. Whereas most arrivals are violently sorted into those strong enough to work to death and those immediately sent to the gas chamber, they, along with other Czech Jews, will live in a family camp. Designed to be a "model" and a propaganda tool to assuage the international community, the B2B camp is still filled with the terror of SS guards, abusive kapos, starvation, and the every present lack of food.
Amid all of the chaos and the pains of war, teachers at the camp have been able to start a school, educating the children. Among their meager possessions are eight books. Books are forbidden, and owning a book in the camp is punishable by death. Books offer knowledge and hope, and the Nazis want neither present in the camps. Dita, who worked at the library in the Terezín ghetto shelving books, is recognized by one of the teachers, and is asked to work at the school. She quickly creates a system to hide, handle, and distribute the books to the various teachers throughout the barrack. She soon becomes known as the librarian of Auschwitz. Almost caught on numerous occasions, Dita nonetheless perseveres and keeps the hope that they will be free of the Nazi terror alive. As the war grinds to its conclusion, can Dita continue to protect the books and survive?
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