The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab 4.8/5

The Last Checkmate is a historical fiction novel written by Gabriella Saab that follows a young girl named Maria who was a prisoner at Auschwitz because of her role in the Polish underground resistance. Maria’s life upon arrival at Auschwitz is only spared due to her ability to play chess and entertain Karl Fritzsch, the camp deputy. Fritzsch is a sadist and determines that Maria’s survival quite literally depends on her ability to play chess. 

Honestly, this book was extremely emotional to read. It illuminated the many horrors of World War II and specifically the utter cruelty and inhumane conditions endured by those imprisoned at Auschwitz. The characters that Saab creates are all unique, and perfectly spun into Maria’s life. There are many strong women in the book who inspired me throughout with their sheer resilience and the intelligence that enabled them to survive an environment determined to annihilate its inhabitants. Maria also becomes friends with a priest named Father Kolbe who plays a huge role in her character development and brought me to tears multiple times with his determination to provide support and love to everyone around him. The lessons that he imparts on Maria are lessons that I will remember myself. Maria goes through many tragic losses over the course of the novel and Saab expertly portrays the many layers of her grief. Through it all she weaves chess as the foundation for Maria's survival.

Pros: This novel taught me a lot about World War II. More specifically about the Polish resistance and the conditions at Auschwitz. I mourned the loss of Maria’s loved ones and celebrated every time she stood up for what she believed in and countered her inner demons. This is a novel that I would read again just to take in more of the details and lessons imparted within. The novel also switches between present time and future time a few times to add another layer to Maria's journey. This breaks up any possible monotony of the book but never takes away from the story.

Cons: Saab does make certain assumptions about history in order to make her novel flow. Sometimes these assumptions are a bit reaching but she explains all of them in the author’s note at the end of the book. Not exactly a con but this book did reduce me to tears many times and I recommend being emotionally prepared before embarking on this read. 

Overall, I rate this book a 4.8/5. I know that this will be a book I come back to throughout my life and I am grateful that Gabriella Saab emphasized teaching her readers about such a terrible time in history. I would recommend to mature readers who are looking for an emotional and valuable historical fiction read.