She checks the ties on her dancing shoes under the spotlight at the Germans’ favorite hotel. She moves automatically, her body remembering the steps, even though her mind is screaming at the danger she is in. The soldiers must never know she is Jewish. And that she is helping her fellow Jews escape…

Warsaw, 1943: Every night, Franceska dances at the most dangerous hotel in Poland. She knows which floorboards creak on the stage, which waiters are clumsy, and which officers like to be smiled at.

After her performance, one strap of her black silk dress sliding off her shoulder, she sips champagne with the terrifying SS commander who is determined to rid the streets of Jewish people. She charms him in the soft candlelight, hoping he might lead her to her missing sister. And she prays he misses the glances she exchanges with the man in the corner of the dining room, who is helping her smuggle Jewish people into the hotel and to safety.

The war has stolen so much from Franceska. She has almost nobody left in the world, and little to lose. But as she bewitches the soldiers with her dancing and flattery, extracting details that will help her in her quest, will she pay with the ultimate sacrifice? For as she fights the dark, she can no longer hide in the dark…

Fans of The Midwife of Auschwitz and The Orphan Train will fall in love with this heartbreakingly beautiful book about the terrible choices women needed to make to survive. The Hotel Dancer is an account of incredible bravery in the face of fear, inspired by a true story.

What everyone is saying about The Hotel Dancer:

“I read this with my heart in my throat. Franceska’s story broke me and put me back together in the same night” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Emotional and powerful… Only Ellie Midwood could have you feeling furious, heartbroken, panicked, and awe-inspired in such a short period – in my eyes she is the queen of historical fiction!” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“A very emotional read,… Highly recommend… totally worth 5 stars.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

What everyone is saying about Ellie Midwood:

“Wow!!!… Definitely not going to leave my head anytime soon… Devastatingly heartbreaking… Absolutely rammed with emotions… A heart-wrenching, absolutely beautifully devastating story.” Bookworm86, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Gripping… I kept telling myself, just one more chapter’ and before I knew it, it was 6 a.m. and I was still awake! I had to force myself to go to sleep and as soon as I woke up, I finished the book within a few hours… Outstanding.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

“Amazing… so heart-wrenching… tears at your heartstrings, so reading with a box of Kleenex is a must… wonderful, phenomenal must-read!” PageTurners, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

“Absolutely adored this! Incredibly moving. I had tears welling up and my heart was racing. Did not want to put it down… I felt like I was actually there.” Goodreads reviewer, ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐