The Last Checkmate
Book Feature - The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab
HBL Note: If you were as enthralled with The Queen’s Gambit as I was, or if you read The Tattooist of Auschwitz by Heather Morris, then you are going to love Gabriella Saab’s debut novel, THE LAST CHECKMATE. It is about a young, Polish girl imprisoned at Auschwitz who plays chess in exchange for her life. Gabriella Saab is being touted as perfect for fans of Martha Hall Kelly (which I definitely am!) Still not convinced? Sara Ackerman, USA Today bestselling author of Red Sky Over Hawaii, said this about THE LAST CHECKMATE: “With the story of these indomitable women at Auschwitz, Gabriella Saab has given us a rare and wondrous gift. A must-read for all historical fiction lovers.”
Book Feature - The Last Checkmate by Gabriella Saab
From the publisher:
Maria Florkowska is many things: daughter, avid chess player, and, as a member of the Polish underground resistance in Nazi-occupied Warsaw, a young woman brave beyond her years. Captured by the Gestapo, she is imprisoned in Auschwitz, but while her family is sent to their deaths, she is spared. Realizing her ability to play chess, the sadistic camp deputy, Karl Fritzsch, decides to use her as a chess opponent to entertain the camp guards. However, once he tires of exploiting her skills, he has every intention of killing her.
Befriended by a Catholic priest, Maria attempts to overcome her grief, vows to avenge the murder of her family, and plays for her life. For four grueling years, her strategy is simple: Live. Fight. Survive. By cleverly provoking Fritzsch’s volatile nature in front of his superiors, Maria intends to orchestrate his downfall. Only then will she have a chance to evade the fate awaiting her and see him punished for his wickedness.
As she carries out her plan and the war nears its end, she challenges her former nemesis to one final game, certain to end in life or death, in failure or justice. If Maria can bear to face Fritzsch—and her past—one last time.
