The Warsaw Orphan
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- Create Date：2021-06-05 02:19:02
- Update Date：2025-09-07
- Status：finish
- Author：Kelly Rimmer
- ISBN：1525895990
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
Donna McEachran
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Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this book for an honest review。This tale of Emilia and Roman in Nazi run Warsaw is heartbreakingly beautiful。 They go through so much loss and grief but emerge with such love and strength。 Even with the tears， this book was a delight to read。
Reeca Elliott
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Roman and his family are barely surviving in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 There are so many things that have to fall into place every day just for them to stay alive。 And when the round ups start， so do the agonizing decisions on whether to stay together or separate as a family。Then there is Emilia。 She is a very young polish girl。 She is determined to help the poor children in the ghetto。 She puts her life at risk many times to get these young children out。 She meets Roman because of his family Roman and his family are barely surviving in the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 There are so many things that have to fall into place every day just for them to stay alive。 And when the round ups start， so do the agonizing decisions on whether to stay together or separate as a family。Then there is Emilia。 She is a very young polish girl。 She is determined to help the poor children in the ghetto。 She puts her life at risk many times to get these young children out。 She meets Roman because of his family decisions and it sets these two on a course that will change their whole lives。Kelly Rimmer brought to life the tragedy surrounding the Jewish ghetto。 The starvation and the struggle to survive is all too real in this story。 But， how these people made such agonizing decisions just astounds me。 This read will stay with me for quite a while。Now， the ONLY reason this is not getting a 5 star rating， is the beginning was just a tad too slow for me。 But that ending…it was SPOT ON！Need a heart wrenching， well researched WWII read with strong characters…THIS IS IT！ Grab your copy today！I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review。 。。。more
smalltownbookmom
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Excuse me while I try to piece my broken heart back together again！！ Kelly Rimmer is an auto-buy author for me and I was so excited to get my hands on her new book this week！ This is a heavy story about life in Warsaw Poland under Nazi occupation and follows Elzbieta （who fans may remember from The things we cannot say）。 Elzbieta is relatively removed from the tragedy going on in the Jewish ghetto until she meets Sara， her neighbor and starts helping her get Jewish children to freedom。 While doi Excuse me while I try to piece my broken heart back together again！！ Kelly Rimmer is an auto-buy author for me and I was so excited to get my hands on her new book this week！ This is a heavy story about life in Warsaw Poland under Nazi occupation and follows Elzbieta （who fans may remember from The things we cannot say）。 Elzbieta is relatively removed from the tragedy going on in the Jewish ghetto until she meets Sara， her neighbor and starts helping her get Jewish children to freedom。 While doing this work she meets Roman and his family and the two strike a friendship that eventually turns into something more。 The journey they go on to get their 'happy ending' is fraught with heartbreaking tragedy and loss but Rimmer does such a great job showing the many different experiences and ways people chose to act during an unspeakable time （both the brave and the ugly）。 I cannot recommend this one more， especially for fans of WWII historical fiction or books like The light of days， The woman with the blue star or The things we cannot say。⚠️CW: rape， some graphic violence， death of loved onesFavorite quotes:"I tell myself it is enough that history will harshly judge those who did not act， but I know in my heart that it is not enough。。。Bystanders have allowed themselves to be convinced that the Jews are not like us， and as soon as you convince someone that a group of people is not human， they will allow you to treat them as badly as you wish。""I thought I could be a heroine。 I could do something remarkable to honor my family legacy。 I was thinking about myself， mostly， but I was also so desperate to do something。" 。。。more
Tara Hyatt
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Set in Poland during WW 2， this is another heart breaker by Kelly Rimmer that follows the stories of Emilia and Roman as they overcome tragedy， war and horrendous injuries but manage to find new families and love。 I don’t want to give too much away but this is amazing。
Jennifer
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Really enjoyed it。 Emilia found the perfect parents in Truda and Mateusz。 It was interesting to read about Warsaw during WWII。 I understand how Emilia felt seeing people ride a Ferris wheel right next to the Jewish ghetto wall。 What happened to Emilia in Lodz was scary and heartbreaking。 The Polish people traded one monster （Nazis） for another （Soviet soldiers。） Loved Sarah。 She was a great friend to Emilia and helped so many people。 She put her life in danger everyday trying to save children。 R Really enjoyed it。 Emilia found the perfect parents in Truda and Mateusz。 It was interesting to read about Warsaw during WWII。 I understand how Emilia felt seeing people ride a Ferris wheel right next to the Jewish ghetto wall。 What happened to Emilia in Lodz was scary and heartbreaking。 The Polish people traded one monster （Nazis） for another （Soviet soldiers。） Loved Sarah。 She was a great friend to Emilia and helped so many people。 She put her life in danger everyday trying to save children。 Roman was my least favorite character。 I understand he was angry。 Who wouldn't be angry with how he was treated and made to live！！ He was brave but also impulsive and wanted to keep fighting even when his loved ones wanted him to stop。 I hated when he didn't want to accept Emilia's decision and didn't want to be around her family。 I knew he would eventually come around。 The book is definitely emotional。 Definitely recommend the book， especially if you enjoy historical fiction。 I didn't realize that some of the people mentioned were characters in “The Things We Cannot Say。” Enjoyed the story， characters and writing style。 Look forward to reading more books by the author。 I received a complimentary copy of this book from HARLEQUIN – Trade Publishing （U。S。 & Canada） through NetGalley。 Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own。 。。。more
Christine Moore
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This is a heartbreakingly all too real WW2 novel。 It is the story of Elzbieta Rabinek and her efforts to smuggle children out of the ghetto。 Roman Gorka's family must give up Roman's newborn baby sister or watch her starve。 Roman and Elzbieta find love in these terrible times。 This story is heartbreaking but yet hopeful and you need to keep reading until the very end。 I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own。 This is a heartbreakingly all too real WW2 novel。 It is the story of Elzbieta Rabinek and her efforts to smuggle children out of the ghetto。 Roman Gorka's family must give up Roman's newborn baby sister or watch her starve。 Roman and Elzbieta find love in these terrible times。 This story is heartbreaking but yet hopeful and you need to keep reading until the very end。 I received an advanced readers copy and all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Stacey Ellice
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Another beautifully crafted historical fiction masterpiece by the amazing Kelly Rimmer！ I have read the book and then indulged in the audiobook （because I loved it that much）。 Kelly is so articulate。 She researches and pays homage to some of the biggest moments in time with so much respect。 I couldn’t recommend this more！！！
"Avonna
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Check out all of my reviews at: https://www。avonnalovesgenres。comTHE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer is an emotional historical fiction story featuring a young Polish girl and her family and friend’s struggles to survive set in occupied Warsaw during WWII。 Elizbieta Rabinek is living with her mother and father just outside the ghetto walls in Warsaw， Poland。 She has a secret。 Her mother and father have adopted her and are keeping her safe after the murder of her father and brother by the German’s Check out all of my reviews at: https://www。avonnalovesgenres。comTHE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer is an emotional historical fiction story featuring a young Polish girl and her family and friend’s struggles to survive set in occupied Warsaw during WWII。 Elizbieta Rabinek is living with her mother and father just outside the ghetto walls in Warsaw， Poland。 She has a secret。 Her mother and father have adopted her and are keeping her safe after the murder of her father and brother by the German’s for helping Jews。 She befriends a nurse named Sara who lives in the apartment across the hall and discovers that Sara is doing more than just public health rounds in the ghetto。 Sara and fellow public health workers are smuggling children out of the ghetto and Elizbieta is determined to help。 Sara is trying to help the Gorka family and this is when Elizbieta meets their son， Roman。 Roman is at the youth center when his family is rounded up and sent on the train to the camp。 All Roman feels is hate and he is set on the path of revenge。 From the German occupation through the Russian invasion Elizbieta and Roman fight to survive and reclaim the life they once knew。This is a well written story of family， survival， hope and love in a time of atrocities， starvation and war。 Elizabieta has such courage throughout this story to face what she sees and experiences during the several years covered in this book。 All of the characters in this book are diverse， fully developed and believable。 The author’s research is evident in the plot and storyline。I recommend this historical fiction novel and the author。 。。。more
Audrey Adamson Stars in Her Eye
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A few weeks ago， I asked myself a question: why do I keep reading World War II books if they make me cry？ The answer？ These books always end in hope。 The Warsaw Orphan is no exception though the author adds more tragedy that seems forced into the story。In the Spring of 1942， the Jewish Ghetto is overcrowded and people are dying in the streets， Roman as a job at one of the last few Jewish factories and works hard to supply food for his family。 Things begin to escalate as the German take away more A few weeks ago， I asked myself a question: why do I keep reading World War II books if they make me cry？ The answer？ These books always end in hope。 The Warsaw Orphan is no exception though the author adds more tragedy that seems forced into the story。In the Spring of 1942， the Jewish Ghetto is overcrowded and people are dying in the streets， Roman as a job at one of the last few Jewish factories and works hard to supply food for his family。 Things begin to escalate as the German take away more and more Jews to other camps—camps no one has ever come back from。 Emilia lives on the Polish side of Warsaw。 Going by Elzbieta， she desires to do something for the Jews on the other side of the wall。 She begins working with her neighbor Sara helping move children outside the wall。 As the Germans become stricter with all residents-Jewish or not- both character's lives change in ways they never would have expected。Kelly Rimmer tries to cram every almost every tragedy that happened during the war。 While many are easy to slip in as secondary tragicomedies。 Rimmer pushed too much on Emilia。 While I have no doubt that these things happened， it didn't read organically at that point。 It doesn't help that the ending is mostly summarized missing the emotional charge as the first three-fourths of the story。That being said， the rest of the of enjoyable。 I always learn new things that happened during the war。 Rimmer tells her story through the eyes of a character I haven't read before a Jewish orphan raised outside the ghetto。 This was a unique， history-based perception that gave a new look at what the war was like。 Her chapters are also switched out with Roman an orphan on the other side of the wall。 This gives great contrast and depth to the story。Overall， I enjoyed three-fourths of the story。 I felt like the last tragedy was too much and not organic to the tale but loved getting to know the characters。I received an ARC from the publisher; all opinions are my own。 。。。more
Sara K
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To say that I cried from page 1 through the end of the book is not an exaggeration。 A beautiful， well written （and researched） story about WWII Poland - the unthinkable brutality that two different teens experienced as Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and those on the outside of the wall。 A story of friendship， survival， family and love。 The strength and bravery of those suffering and the strangers who risked their lives to save others from the horrors of WWII。 Honestly， it was one of the most heart wr To say that I cried from page 1 through the end of the book is not an exaggeration。 A beautiful， well written （and researched） story about WWII Poland - the unthinkable brutality that two different teens experienced as Jews in the Warsaw ghetto and those on the outside of the wall。 A story of friendship， survival， family and love。 The strength and bravery of those suffering and the strangers who risked their lives to save others from the horrors of WWII。 Honestly， it was one of the most heart wrenching books， however one of the most incredible I have read this year。 For anyone who loves historical fiction， please make sure to read this book。Thank you to Netgalley and Harlequin for my advanced reader copy。 。。。more
Tanya Nellestein
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Another wonderful read with fabulous characters。 Kelly Rimmer is the master of Exploring stories in history that need to be told。
Sally Hepworth
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After reading this one， Kelly Rimmer will be your new favourite author （or your old favourite， if you already loved her）
Tamara
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Title: The Warsaw OrphanAuthor: Kelly RimmerGenre: Historical fictionRating: 4 out of 5I’ve read a number of books about World War II， but I’m not sure I’ve ever read one set in Warsaw。 With the different points-of-view， the reader sees what life is like inside the ghetto， but what it looks like outside the ghetto， too。 This was an engrossing read， and although not a light or happy one， there were some glimmers of light peeking through。I recommend this read， for illustrating a slightly different Title: The Warsaw OrphanAuthor: Kelly RimmerGenre: Historical fictionRating: 4 out of 5I’ve read a number of books about World War II， but I’m not sure I’ve ever read one set in Warsaw。 With the different points-of-view， the reader sees what life is like inside the ghetto， but what it looks like outside the ghetto， too。 This was an engrossing read， and although not a light or happy one， there were some glimmers of light peeking through。I recommend this read， for illustrating a slightly different aspect of the World War II tragedy。 The characters are believable and I was invested in what happened to them and how they learned and grew from their experiences。（Galley courtesy of Harlequin/Graydon House in exchange for an honest review。） 。。。more
Laurie • The Baking Bookworm
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This was an interesting story loosely based on real events in Warsaw， Poland during World War II。 At times， the story is quite emotional and Rimmer does not hold back describing the war-time atrocities， bleakness and terror that were felt on the streets of Warsaw during Nazi rule。The story has a slower pace， and I was most impressed by Rimmer's depiction of the era - from the German propaganda， rumours， and their ruthless actions， to the fear of the Polish people which were balanced with glimpse This was an interesting story loosely based on real events in Warsaw， Poland during World War II。 At times， the story is quite emotional and Rimmer does not hold back describing the war-time atrocities， bleakness and terror that were felt on the streets of Warsaw during Nazi rule。The story has a slower pace， and I was most impressed by Rimmer's depiction of the era - from the German propaganda， rumours， and their ruthless actions， to the fear of the Polish people which were balanced with glimpses of joy， family and friendship。 I was captivated by these vivid， emotional descriptions， but found the story itself to sometimes feel heavy with dialogue and， at times， I found that the voices of Elzbieta and Roman blended together。The characters were well-developed with good depth and a few that weren't likable but had believable faults， showcasing different aspects of the war。 The story is told through the POVs of Elzbieta and Roman， young people who deal with events and emotions quite differently。 Through their eyes， readers feel the despair and desperation of the Jewish people living within the ghetto walls and those trying to help them escape。 The ending is satisfying and quite neatly done， but I would have loved an epilogue to see how things turned out。 This is a poignant story that doesn't hold back as it describes the atrocities inflicted against the Warsaw Jewish community and those who tried to aid them。 While it is often brutal in its telling， Rimmer also gives her readers glimpses of joy， family and friendship and strong themes of courage， strength， and resiliency。 Recommended for Historical Fiction fans！ Look for it June 1， 2021！Disclaimer: My sincere thanks to Graydon House for my advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest review。 。。。more
Kate
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This was a hard book to read， but I’m glad it did。 So much tragedy， but very well written。
Shelagh
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What a gripping， haunting， shocking， raw and at times horrifying book The Warsaw Orphan has been。 I simply could not put it down。 I’ve read several books set in Warsaw during World War Two but I don’t recall any of them containing quite such graphic imagery as this one。 The story is told through the eyes of two teenagers。 It begins in 1942 when Emilia is nearly fourteen and is living with her adoptive parents outside the Warsaw ghetto under an assumed name。 Roman is sixteen， half Jewish and half What a gripping， haunting， shocking， raw and at times horrifying book The Warsaw Orphan has been。 I simply could not put it down。 I’ve read several books set in Warsaw during World War Two but I don’t recall any of them containing quite such graphic imagery as this one。 The story is told through the eyes of two teenagers。 It begins in 1942 when Emilia is nearly fourteen and is living with her adoptive parents outside the Warsaw ghetto under an assumed name。 Roman is sixteen， half Jewish and half Catholic and shares one room of a crowded apartment with his family， who are starving。 Both Emilia and Roman feel obligated to do their bit。 For Roman it is the constant battle to find food for his family， while Emilia is committed to helping her neighbour Sara to ease the suffering。As the war progresses， the atrocities ramp up and I wondered whether there was ever any hope for these two。 This book is brilliantly written with the war-torn landscape so skilfully described I felt as though I was there too。 Despite the horrors that are depicted， this is a story of courage and hope and one I can’t recommend，end highly enough。 。。。more
Janet Fiorentino
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I am a fan of historical fiction， especially stories set in WWII and its aftermath， and adored Kelly Rimmer’s novel， “The Things We Cannot Say。” Hence， when I was given a chance to review “Warsaw Orphan，” I came to the novel with high expectations。 Boy， did this story blow me away。Here， we meet teenaged， Elzbieta Rabinek who lives in Warsaw with her adopted parents Truda and Mateusz。 Her parents do their best to shield her from the war， but when Elzbieta befriends Sara， she learns the realities I am a fan of historical fiction， especially stories set in WWII and its aftermath， and adored Kelly Rimmer’s novel， “The Things We Cannot Say。” Hence， when I was given a chance to review “Warsaw Orphan，” I came to the novel with high expectations。 Boy， did this story blow me away。Here， we meet teenaged， Elzbieta Rabinek who lives in Warsaw with her adopted parents Truda and Mateusz。 Her parents do their best to shield her from the war， but when Elzbieta befriends Sara， she learns the realities of war。 Sara is a nurse and social worker who secretly visits the Ghetto so that she can bring medical care and supplies to those who desperately need it。 Elzbieta begins to assist Sara and meets Roman Gorka who struggles to survive with his family in horrendous conditions。 Of course， Elizbieta and Roman fall for each other， but this novel is much more than a tragic romance， but a tale of endurance。 Elzbieta is a strong character who is very wise and mature for her age。 Roman is much more angry （and vengeful）， but the reader can understand why。 I read both “Warsaw Orphan” and “Forest of the Vanishing Stars” around the same time and loved both books。 It should not shock me， but it does how horrific people can treat one another and how a label can determine your fate。 Kelly Rimmer does not hold back on the heinous nature of war and readers may find certain passages deeply disturbing， yet， like her other novels， there is a message of hope and humanity prevailing。 When you think of what our country has gone through in the last fourteen months， the messages of this novel are truly timely。 Thank you to the publisher， NetGalley and Kelly Rimmer for my advanced copy。 。。。more
KP_46
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Hello， I am kp （Editor at Goodnovel）， Your novel has the potential and I would like to offer you to work with us （exclusive and non-exclusive contracts）。 There is also a contest with prize $8000 coming up and your novel might have the chances of winning。 Do give it a try。 If you are interested or would like more information about this please mail me at kp_46@yahoo。comI would request you to keep the subject as （Author- Book name）。 Thankyou。
Stephanie
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I had been feeling recently that I needed a bit of a break from WWII historical fiction so when I received an advance copy of The Warsaw Orphan， I was a bit hesitant to read it。 I am so glad that I did。 This is a beautiful， haunting novel that pulled me in right from the outset。 The novel is based on the real-life story of a young woman who helped Jewish children escape from the walled in Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 The book touches upon many themes including despair， loss， hopelessness， and the la I had been feeling recently that I needed a bit of a break from WWII historical fiction so when I received an advance copy of The Warsaw Orphan， I was a bit hesitant to read it。 I am so glad that I did。 This is a beautiful， haunting novel that pulled me in right from the outset。 The novel is based on the real-life story of a young woman who helped Jewish children escape from the walled in Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 The book touches upon many themes including despair， loss， hopelessness， and the lack of humanity in some but also resiliency， courage， the strength of the human spirit， and hope。 From the first page， I was instantly drawn into the story。 As the plot unfolded， I found myself transported into the lives of the characters and the descriptive writing made me feel that I was right there with them， experiencing what they did and feeling what they felt。 It was almost as if I became part of the story。 This is an amazing feeling when you come across a novel that does that。 This is a well-done novel that kept me engrossed throughout - my only observation was that the ending was a bit too neat and tidy。 A solid 4。5 star read for me that is on par with the author’s equally excellent 2019 novel， The Things We Cannot Say。 The Warsaw Orphan is out on June 1。Thanks to @harpercollinsca snd @this_is_edelweiss for the advance copy in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Carla Johnson-Hicks
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It’s 1942， and teenage Elzbieta lives in the middle of German-occupied Warsaw。 She dislikes the Germans for many reasons and is keeping a huge secret from everyone。 She is not happy that her parents won't let her leave the apartment of courtyard， so she keeps her visits to her neighbour Sara， a secret。 She ends up helping Sara， who is working with the underground to rescue Jewish children from the ghetto。 The other main character is Roman， a Catholic Jew， who is living in the ghetto with his fam It’s 1942， and teenage Elzbieta lives in the middle of German-occupied Warsaw。 She dislikes the Germans for many reasons and is keeping a huge secret from everyone。 She is not happy that her parents won't let her leave the apartment of courtyard， so she keeps her visits to her neighbour Sara， a secret。 She ends up helping Sara， who is working with the underground to rescue Jewish children from the ghetto。 The other main character is Roman， a Catholic Jew， who is living in the ghetto with his family。 As the war rages on， Roman and his family are in danger of being deported to "The Camps" and Elzbieta finds herself falling in love with him。 What is next for Warsaw， its civilians and the Jewish people who are living in hiding？ Life was harsh in the war years with the Germans， and then the Soviets took the independence from the Polish people。 Would they survive this second occupation？This is a story that had me an emotional wreck。 Elzbieta was such a strong character and only just a teenager。 She risked her life， the wrath of her parents and her heart on a regular basis。 Once the war ended， there was still so much that she had to deal with。 Tragedy struck more than once， yet she still had faith and prayed to God。 Roman suffered so much。 Losing his family， putting himself in danger on a regular basis and fighting for justice and freedom took over his life， yet he still loved Elzbieta。 Could she save him？ There were many characters in this book that showed such strength， love and justice that I wanted to meet them all。 The character of Sara was based on Irena Sendler， and if you have not read anything about her， there are some great books sharing her story。 I do not want to give away the story， so will not say anything else about the plot， except to say that is is well-written and written with emotion。 This is a story of war， family， survival， and love。 There are themes of justice， revenge， compassion， sacrifice， friendship， bravery， risk-taking， suffering， devotion to family， love， hope， and survival。 One quote that really spoke to me dealt with how to free Poland: "You defeat one bad man and another is there， ready to take his place。 You need to fight the ideas that lead to bad men in the first place。" Kelly Rimmer has written another informative， heartbreaking historical novel about the power of human spirit。 It will provoke all kinds of emotions as you travel with Elzbieta and Roman on their journey。 The publisher generously provided me with a copy of this book upon request。 The rating and opinions shared are my own。 。。。more
Margaret
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The Warsaw Orphan is a heartbreaking story told from the POV of both Elzbeita and Roman。 Teens caught in the war that destroyed so much， shattered lives and wiped out generations of families。Both Roman and Elzbeita have strong personalities， are so determined in their quests making me forgot their ages （14 years when the book begins）。 A part of me struggled with that aspect， but on the other hand the war caused a lot of people to grow up before their time。The author didn't hold back in her descr The Warsaw Orphan is a heartbreaking story told from the POV of both Elzbeita and Roman。 Teens caught in the war that destroyed so much， shattered lives and wiped out generations of families。Both Roman and Elzbeita have strong personalities， are so determined in their quests making me forgot their ages （14 years when the book begins）。 A part of me struggled with that aspect， but on the other hand the war caused a lot of people to grow up before their time。The author didn't hold back in her descriptive story and what wasn't verbalized was definitely felt。I missed the author notes - this was an arc so hopefully the finished copies will have them。 I would have loved to known what was based on fact vs。 fiction。 Part of me feels much of this book is not made up， how can so much bad be consciously imagined？ But rather this was a true reflection of what took place and that in itself will stay with me for a long time。The Warsaw Orphan was an emotional reading， depressing at times。 It showed a side of the war in Poland I haven't visited before。 But it also showed the strength and determination of those that fought back and survived。My thanks to the publisher （via Netgalley） for a digital ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
Raji
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Review to come
Linda
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Vey different but in a good way
Sheri
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Kelly Rimer’s newest book The Warsaw Orphan is a historical fiction book based on true events in Poland during the Nazi occupation and the aftermath。 As with many WWII stories， it is heartbreaking to read and realize what people endured。 In an author note at the end of the book， Kelly cites a study that almost 2/3 of young adult Americans did not know that six million Jews died in the Holocaust。 In fact， 10% of the survey respondents thought that the Jews caused the Holocaust。 It is shocking inf Kelly Rimer’s newest book The Warsaw Orphan is a historical fiction book based on true events in Poland during the Nazi occupation and the aftermath。 As with many WWII stories， it is heartbreaking to read and realize what people endured。 In an author note at the end of the book， Kelly cites a study that almost 2/3 of young adult Americans did not know that six million Jews died in the Holocaust。 In fact， 10% of the survey respondents thought that the Jews caused the Holocaust。 It is shocking information such as this that makes the stories of the past important to share。 Kelly also shares in the author note true facts about the time and how they fit into the book。 I love this additional information as it helps me understand the story。This story follows Elzbieta， a young woman living among the non-Jewish Polish people， and Roman， a young man living in the Jewish Ghetto。 They are both determined to defend Poland against invaders but how they go about it is very different。 I loved following their stories and doing myself hoping some of the events in the book were true because they showed bravery， courage， and resilience。 Believe me when I say you will become involved in this book！ 。。。more
Helen
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“Grieving is what you do when those you love are lost to you。 They have not been lost to me，” I said in disgust， weeping。 “They have been taken from me。 There is a difference。”Kelly Rimmer has done it again！ The Warsaw Orphan is another spectacular historical fiction novel。 Emotional， heartbreaking yet somehow she leaves us with a sense of hopefulness。 It portrays the harsh life for the people of Warsaw with first the Germans and then later the Soviets during the occupation of WWII。 ‘When you ha “Grieving is what you do when those you love are lost to you。 They have not been lost to me，” I said in disgust， weeping。 “They have been taken from me。 There is a difference。”Kelly Rimmer has done it again！ The Warsaw Orphan is another spectacular historical fiction novel。 Emotional， heartbreaking yet somehow she leaves us with a sense of hopefulness。 It portrays the harsh life for the people of Warsaw with first the Germans and then later the Soviets during the occupation of WWII。 ‘When you have seen these things， things so horrific that you cannot become hardened to them， how can you just go back to existing again？ Even if the war ended tomorrow， I feel like I would be broken for the rest of my life， and in ways that I can’t even understand， let alone explain。’This is the story of two teenagers and their unique perspective on this well documented time period。 It’s a tale of their growing up in extenuating circumstances of trying to survive in a city blanketed by hardship， suffering and incredible injustices under Nazi and then Soviet occupation。 ‘To face the inhuman， one must become superhuman。’From the outset to its finale， Kelly offers an amazing story of survival and friendship。 It really is quite the tale。 Well researched and beautifully written， having been inspired by true events in Poland during WWII。 From the resistance within the Jewish Warsaw ghetto， to the Soviet occupied streets or running through the sewers， you are there witnessing the hunger and fear， the despair yet determination。 Sitting in the comfort of one’s home， it will shake you to your core to read what these people endured and sacrificed。 ‘Maybe I could force myself to return to the ghetto， but I would have to learn how to stop bringing the ghetto home with me or I’d never survive。’The story of Elzbieta and Roman， and indeed many of the other characters gives you perspective on what kept them strong， how their beliefs and actions may not align， but always 。。。。 always 。。。。 how they loved and supported each other。 “I’m jealous of you。 I miss believing that there is some purpose and some sense to life，” Sara sighed。 “Maybe， tonight when you pray， you could send up a little prayer for me， too。”The Warsaw Orphan is undoubtedly an emotional ride with its true power in how it will make you think and what it will make you feel。 To be confronted with both the failings and strengths of humanity yet through it all， the power of ‘family’ to hold true through the worst imaginable circumstances。 Whilst not an easy book to read at times， it most definitely is a must read as it has a powerful story to tell - a tale that you will reflect upon long after the final page is turned。 ‘At the end of the day， that was my worst nightmare—not the trials of the ghetto。 I would endure torture and starvation and even death if it meant I could stay with my family。 There was nothing more important to me in the world。’This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review。 The quoted material may have changed in the final release。 。。。more
Erika
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This was a really good WWII novel that switched POV's between a Jewish boy living in the Warsaw Ghetto and a Catholic girl living just outside it， both hoping to make a difference for their families and their country。 I really enjoyed both Elzbieta and Roman's stories as they provided different perspectives， but also showed how the entire country of Poland suffered during WWII。 As with any WWII story， so much of this one was heart shattering and tough to read， but important。 It is important we n This was a really good WWII novel that switched POV's between a Jewish boy living in the Warsaw Ghetto and a Catholic girl living just outside it， both hoping to make a difference for their families and their country。 I really enjoyed both Elzbieta and Roman's stories as they provided different perspectives， but also showed how the entire country of Poland suffered during WWII。 As with any WWII story， so much of this one was heart shattering and tough to read， but important。 It is important we never forget and books like this one help to remember the atrocities that occurred。 This was poignant and beautifully written。 Thank you to Netgalley and Graydon House for the ARC。 。。。more
Louanne
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The Warsaw Orphan is historical fiction based on a true story of a heroine who saved thousands of children during WW2。 Set in Poland in 1942， Elzbieta lives with her aqdoptive parents。 。Along with her neighbour ，Sara ，they visit the Warsaw ghetto and the two of them help to save the starving Jewish children that live there。Another great read by Kelly Rimmer！Thanks to NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review。
MsArdychan
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Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher to participant in a blog tour promoting this book。 This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way。 If I did not care for the book， I had the opportunity to opt out of the tour。 I have read many books about World War Two， from All The Light We Cannot See， by Anthony Doerr， to the more recent novel， The Paris Library， by Janet Skeslien Charles。 Each book has helped me to understand a little bit more about what ha Please Note: I received an advance copy of this novel from the publisher to participant in a blog tour promoting this book。 This did not influence the opinions in my review in any way。 If I did not care for the book， I had the opportunity to opt out of the tour。 I have read many books about World War Two， from All The Light We Cannot See， by Anthony Doerr， to the more recent novel， The Paris Library， by Janet Skeslien Charles。 Each book has helped me to understand a little bit more about what happened to regular people during the war。 The Warsaw Orphan opened my eyes to what the people of Poland experienced， as seen through the eyes of a Jewish teen living in the Warsaw Ghetto， and a Christian teen living just beyond the Wall in the greater city。 There were acts of bravery， both large and small， as well as callousness from those who chose to look away from the terrible suffering。 This is an unflinching look at war。 With wonderful characters that I could root for， I could not put this book down。 I finished this novel in just two days！Trigger Warning for Rape:This book contains a scene of extreme sexual violence。 Although this was central to the plot of the book， if you are triggered by such things， I would strongly advise that you skip this novel。Please read my complete review on my blog: www。ponderingtheprose。blogspot。com on May 28th， 2021。 。。。more
Vera
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Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this incredibly moving historical fiction novel！I've read tons of WWII novels， and The Warsaw Orphan is one of the best I've read。 It's set in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and then the Warsaw Uprising of 1944， but it focuses more on individual people and their struggles， rather than on these major historical events themselves。 The main characters are a young Polish woman nam Thank you so much to the publisher and NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read an ARC of this incredibly moving historical fiction novel！I've read tons of WWII novels， and The Warsaw Orphan is one of the best I've read。 It's set in Nazi-occupied Poland during the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising and then the Warsaw Uprising of 1944， but it focuses more on individual people and their struggles， rather than on these major historical events themselves。 The main characters are a young Polish woman named Elzbieta and young Jewish man named Roman， both of whom have to find a way to survive and thrive during these troubled times。 They both find different ways to help those in need during the Nazi occupation， and their relationship with each other takes many turns as they both struggle to engage with the world around them。 The characters are well-developed and sympathetic， and the story is both heartwarming and heartbreaking at the same time。 This is one of those stories that stayed with me long after I finished reading it， and I'll definitely be checking out more of Kelly Rimmer's books。Highly recommend！ 。。。more
Liz Hobson
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