Historical

After the War

After the War

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  • Create Date：2021-04-17 14:57:00
  • Update Date：2025-09-06
  • Status：finish
  • Author：Carol Matas
  • ISBN：0689807228
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Summary

"Didn't the gas ovens finish you all off？" is the response that meets Ruth Mendenberg when she returns to her village in Poland after the liberation of Buchenwald at the end of World War II。 Her entire family wiped out in the Holocaust， the fifteen-year-old girl has nowhere to go。 Members of the underground organization Brichah find her， and she joins them in their dangerous quest to smuggle illegal immigrants to Palestine。 Ruth risks her life to help lead a group of children on a daring journey over half a continent and across the sea to Eretz Israel， using secret routes and forged documents -- and sheer force of will。

This adventure will touch readers， who will marvel at the resources and inner strength of mere children helping other children to find a place in this world in which they can belong。 Carol Matas， one of the foremost authors of historical fiction， brings the desperation and passion of this remarkable journey to life。

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Reviews

Coleman ，

it was a meh book， I did not really like it that much and I do not think that this b00k is for me。

Sharon Zink ，

The story follows a 15-year-old girl， who believes all her family perished in the Holocaust， from a displaced persons camp， and across Europe， with her final goal being Palestine。 There are flashbacks by which the girl fills us in on what happened to her during the war。

Renee ，

I haven't read this in a long time， in fact it was a book I read all the way back in grade nine and I'm 21 now so it's been a minute。 I do remember however that I found this book to be vastly unlikable to the point that even my English teacher hated the fact that we had to read it。 I dont know， maybe it's worth a reread now that I'm older but I doubt I'll ever get around to it。 I haven't read this in a long time， in fact it was a book I read all the way back in grade nine and I'm 21 now so it's been a minute。 I do remember however that I found this book to be vastly unlikable to the point that even my English teacher hated the fact that we had to read it。 I dont know， maybe it's worth a reread now that I'm older but I doubt I'll ever get around to it。 。。。more

Sarah Patt ，

Even though the war is over， Jews are still targeted by many of the people of Poland as the enemy。 The protagonist， Auschwitz survivor， Ruth feels hopeless until she meets someone who convinces her to join his brigade working to get as many Jewish people as they can， especially children， into Palestine to create a new Jewish homeland。 There are people trying to stop them at every turn， on every border， which dumbfounded me and I am not spoiling the suspense of the story by telling you it has som Even though the war is over， Jews are still targeted by many of the people of Poland as the enemy。 The protagonist， Auschwitz survivor， Ruth feels hopeless until she meets someone who convinces her to join his brigade working to get as many Jewish people as they can， especially children， into Palestine to create a new Jewish homeland。 There are people trying to stop them at every turn， on every border， which dumbfounded me and I am not spoiling the suspense of the story by telling you it has something to do with British Politics/Economy dependent on Arab oil。 This story will give you a new understanding of how difficult it was for Holocaust survivors to migrate out of Eastern Europe。 The list of struggles seemed endless！ Author， Carol Matas included flashbacks of Ruth's life before the war that was beautifully written and gave this story a hint of romance which I loved。 There was an incredible amount of tragedy in this historic novel， After The War， but there is also a phenomenal ending。 I am pleased to learn Matas wrote a sequel， The Garden， which I plan on reading next。 This one honestly only took me two days to finish！ 。。。more

twice_baked✌️ ，

This book seemed so unrealistic and inauthentic。 Maybe because I'm not educated on the things she was writing about， but here are the things I disliked about After the War:（note: haven't read it in forever， this is from a piece of paper I found while cleaning out my closet， and I decided I might as well post it to get rid of the paper lol so there are only cons， because that's how I roll。）- the main character doesn't act like someone who's been through trauma， she heals super quickly- found it o This book seemed so unrealistic and inauthentic。 Maybe because I'm not educated on the things she was writing about， but here are the things I disliked about After the War:（note: haven't read it in forever， this is from a piece of paper I found while cleaning out my closet， and I decided I might as well post it to get rid of the paper lol so there are only cons， because that's how I roll。）- the main character doesn't act like someone who's been through trauma， she heals super quickly- found it odd that she's the only one who can't be in the bunkers bc they remind her of Auschwitz。 Every concentration camp had bunkers so wouldn't all the kids （or at very least， some of the kids） be scared of going down？- also odd that she gets over her fear of the bunkers so quickly- Jonathan's mood swing after his story is confusing and weird， because he immediately starts crying and throwing things right after he was fine， and telling her his history。 Maybe this is how trauma works， I just found it way too abrupt， like a light switch。 If it had happened during his telling the story， or if it had happened after a little while after his story， it would have felt more realistic。 Again， don't know what trauma is like， so it could be very similar to real life。- the two or three kids who told her their stories， none of that felt authentic （like the stories plus the kids plus the way they tell them， none of it seems authentic/realistic） and maybe she's just a bad writer but it felt stilted and forced。- the romance between her and Zvi is really weird and moves abnormally fast like they're fifteen and he's already kissing her on the mouth？ That's way too much for these young， traumatized kids。 And if some kid did that to me， even if I had a crush on him， I wouldn't hang around him anymore。 Also， I'm not a guy so I wouldn't know （tho neither is the author）， but if I were him， I wouldn't want her to know how puppy-love I was。 And I would pretend I just saw her as a friend bc I wouldn't want to be so vulnerable。 That's how I am irl and I'm a） a girl， so prob more emotional and b） not traumatized by torture/starvation/sights like being left behind by all the stable adults in my life， most of which I saw die or knew were walking to their deaths。 I wouldn't let myself be that vulnerable with anyone， let alone a girl （boy， in my case） my age。 Just my thoughts。 So it's weird to me that he's not embarrassed about anything when it comes to love and Ruth。- the way they act towards each other when it comes to romance is just awkward， stilted， and super unrealistic。 That's just not how a 15 year old girl and boy would act。 This writer has no clue。- The way she talks doesn't seem 15-year-old to me。 Maybe it's because she's been through so much， but it just feels inauthentic and is hard to imagine。 The way she reacts tot hings and the way she talks/responds to others， the convos she has with them， are just weird - I guess， just not like real people？ idk whatever， I can't put my finger on itI haven't read the book in like three years， this was towards the beginning of high school that I picked it up。 idk what age group it's meant for， but obviously I've aged out of it。 I should go back and reread sometime， just so I can mention some of the pros， but I don't remember them， if there are any。 It's a pretty short book， quick read - doesn't go very deep， or have many plot/story lines， so wouldn't hurt to pick it up and try it out， idk。 Wasn't enjoyable to me， but like whatever。 。。。more

Wit ，

If a little short， an amazing story

Merve ，

Neden bilmem， her şey çok duygusuzca verilmiş。 Sevemedim。

Laiten ，

After The War is about the effects on jews after WWII。 A girl Ruth is going to this place and gets stopped by Nazis that kidnap a guy she’s following and she saves him。 They get past a border with kids that they found and using fake greek papers by speaking hebrew and the guards not knowing what they say。 They take a ship that will bring them to a country where they’re safe。 While on the boat she runs into her brother that she thought was dead。 They get followed by a british warship in internati After The War is about the effects on jews after WWII。 A girl Ruth is going to this place and gets stopped by Nazis that kidnap a guy she’s following and she saves him。 They get past a border with kids that they found and using fake greek papers by speaking hebrew and the guards not knowing what they say。 They take a ship that will bring them to a country where they’re safe。 While on the boat she runs into her brother that she thought was dead。 They get followed by a british warship in international waters so the warship can’t do anything。they get arrested and at the end they get to stay there。 。。。more

Wes Flease ，

Personal Response: I like the book After the War。 I think the author， Carol Matas， does a great job describing characters。 The book is interesting， but the book has a couple boring parts。 The book left a couple of things left unsaid， and I am unsure what happens to certain characters。Plot Summary: After the War is a book describing the life of a group of jews after World War Two。 The main character， Ruth， is a young Jewish girl that survived the Holocaust。 Ruth is the only one in her family wh Personal Response: I like the book After the War。 I think the author， Carol Matas， does a great job describing characters。 The book is interesting， but the book has a couple boring parts。 The book left a couple of things left unsaid， and I am unsure what happens to certain characters。Plot Summary: After the War is a book describing the life of a group of jews after World War Two。 The main character， Ruth， is a young Jewish girl that survived the Holocaust。 Ruth is the only one in her family who survived。 Ruth realizes she will never see her family again。 She finds a group of Jewish people。 Men， women， and children all looking for a new life in Palestine。 The group goes through many hardships and even some deaths of loved ones。 When they arrive in Palestine， they are welcomed in open arms。Characterization: During the beginning of the book， Ruth is a shy girl。 She does not have any family or friends left。 Soon she joins up with a group and is able to call them family。 Throughout the journey， she becomes more open and shares her ideas with her group。 At the end of the book， she is a respected member of the group， and she is able to make decisions for herself。 Ruth's brother， Simon， is separated from Ruth during the war。 He is also lost and could not find his family。 Simon knows he has to leave his old life behind。 He becomes mentally tough and fights his way to palestine。 At the end of the book he meets Ruth。 They are a family again， and Simon is a happy man。Setting: The book takes place in a time period right after World War two。 The beginning of the book takes place in Poland。 This is where Ruth first looks for her family。 The setting then takes place as they travel through Czechoslovakia， Austria， and Italy。 This is important because it shows how far the group has to persevere to eventually make it to Palestine。 Thematic connection: There are lots of themes in After the War， but the main theme is to keep going and don't let anyone get in the way of a personal goal。 This shows in the book when the group of Jews didn't let anyone get in their way when they want to go to Palestine。Recommendation: I recommend this book to anyone interested in World War Two because there is a lot of history。 Boys and girls would like this book because the main characters were both genders。 I would recommend it to high schoolers because there was some gruesome killing。 。。。more

Hilary ，

I read as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan， reading 4 chapters a day。This was a fast paced book with non stop action and danger。 This is categorised as YA but several scenes are very brutal and distressing， I would say this is more suited for an adult read but it's very short。 Many murders are described （view spoiler）[ a little girl is tied to a chair and her socks stuffed onto her mouth by the nazis and she suffocates （hide spoiler）] I thought this was very brutal and not something I would expect t I read as a buddy read with Lisa Vegan， reading 4 chapters a day。This was a fast paced book with non stop action and danger。 This is categorised as YA but several scenes are very brutal and distressing， I would say this is more suited for an adult read but it's very short。 Many murders are described （view spoiler）[ a little girl is tied to a chair and her socks stuffed onto her mouth by the nazis and she suffocates （hide spoiler）] I thought this was very brutal and not something I would expect to find in a YA。 There are many more deaths before the story ends。 I found the violence， although used to defend themselves was glamorised， suicide was mentioned and giving your life for others， all heavy themes for a YA， and ones I would want explained carefully。 There were some parts of the story that felt poorly thought out， whilst in danger of being found to be Jewish and pretending to be Greek the Jewish children said Shalom to each other which seemed careless and unrealistic。 Another scene mentions the main character Ruth cannot swim and then in a other scene she can and has a memory of swimming。 Figures of people killed in the war were mentioned even though this was not known until afterwards。 Personally I felt the story was paced too fast， I didn't have time to get to know the characters or see through their eyes， the story was paced at break neck speed。 I did find the historical detail interesting， I was shocked to discover that the British stopped with force and violence， Jewish people travelling to Israel。 I had not previously heard of this and cannot understand why a country that had fought to save Jewish people from the concentration camps would not want to actively help and encourage the people they had rescued to find a place to live and be safe。Having read several books now about after the war I realise how after being liberated from Hitler and the nazis the situation for most people affected by the war did not get any better and it was some time before they were safe。 It was interesting to read about the aftermath of the war， how people tried to find each other and how things were not instantly put right。There is a happy ending luckily， this story ends with hope。 We are about to read another by this author which we are hoping will be better， this author has written so many books I worry they might have been rushed。 。。。more

Lisa （not getting friends updates） Vegan ，

I read this as a buddy read with Hilary， and we each read an Open Library edition。 Thanks to Hilary for finding a book that had 2 editions of the same book， identical copies I think， available for borrowing immediately。 We read this over 4 days and read at the same time which was really a fun way to do a buddy read。 It was a really quick read。 It could be read easily in one day and even in one sitting。It’s such a short novel and most novels with so few pages are written for children。 I had this I read this as a buddy read with Hilary， and we each read an Open Library edition。 Thanks to Hilary for finding a book that had 2 editions of the same book， identical copies I think， available for borrowing immediately。 We read this over 4 days and read at the same time which was really a fun way to do a buddy read。 It was a really quick read。 It could be read easily in one day and even in one sitting。It’s such a short novel and most novels with so few pages are written for children。 I had this on my children’s and on my young adult shelf， but so many of the events were so brutal。 Too brutal for children in my opinion。 There is also a bit of romance that would probably not interest most children， so I took it off my children’s shelf。 For young adult/adult it was too short。 I wished it had been longer and included more details about characters & events。 I wanted more fleshed-out characters。 I was okay with not all the characters being three dimensional enough because this really is Ruth’s story。 What was there I really enjoyed reading but there just wasn’t enough there to completely satisfy me。 Also， maybe because it was so short and so much had to fit into so few words， I noticed many “representative types” for some of the characters。 Every type of belief system and goal checked。 That was slightly annoying but only slightly because it did seem real enough to me。Ruth is a great character。 She’s barely 15 but posing as older in order to appear less vulnerable。 I’m in awe of her and many of the children and adult characters in the book。 I also particularly like Zvi。 Some of the happenings would seem over the top but I’ve read a lot of Holocaust and post Holocaust books， including many non-fiction books， and everything that happens in the book were the kinds of things that really happened during the war and in the period after the war ended。 Most of it seemed realistic so in other words highly disturbing。 I appreciated the psychological sophistication shown about what these people went through and are going through and their coping styles and that the happenings are mostly presented quite realistically， in the past， in the present， and in the future too。But there are things that rang false。 These people seemed to know the numbers of how many Jews died in the Holocaust and in Poland。 My understanding is that European civilians didn’t know these stats in the mid-late 40s。 There were a few other things that seemed unrealistic or off。 The way the escaping group behaved at one point。 Also， at one point Ruth says she can’t swim and then when needed she swims which didn’t seem possible but then in an old memory she was swimming。 One part I thought was off wasn’t。 I did look up when paper plates were invented because I thought maybe that way another “too far in the future thing” to have in this story but I was wrong。 They’ve been around since the late 1800s。 I didn’t like that even by the end of the book she never seemed to reveal her real age to Zvi but in this short book even the relationships had to be rushed。 For all these criticisms， I didn’t seem to enjoy the reading experience any less。 I liked it a lot。 3-1/2 stars。 Hilary and I are going to read another book by this author and I’m looking forward to it。 That said unless I like the next book （Lisa’s War） better than this one， I might not read more books by this author。 She writes many books that seem similar to this one。 There are just so many great books out there。 This almost was 4 stars for me but it wasn’t， and I want all my books to be 5 or 4 stars。 Reading this book， the group of young people trying to get to Palestine， and of Cyprus’s role， and of a Sabra， made me want to watch the movie Exodus again and to read that book。 。。。more

Devin Harazmus ，

tAfter the War by Carol Matas is an excellent quick read。 It takes place right after the concentration camps like Buchenwald and Auschwitz are liberated after World War II。 When 15 year old Ruth returns to her home after the war to find her family gone and nothing left she decides to join a Jewish resistance movement。 She joins because she has no one left and no home。 The group spends their time smuggling illegal Jews into the Czech Republic from Poland。 Ruth takes care of the small children。 Th tAfter the War by Carol Matas is an excellent quick read。 It takes place right after the concentration camps like Buchenwald and Auschwitz are liberated after World War II。 When 15 year old Ruth returns to her home after the war to find her family gone and nothing left she decides to join a Jewish resistance movement。 She joins because she has no one left and no home。 The group spends their time smuggling illegal Jews into the Czech Republic from Poland。 Ruth takes care of the small children。 The movements goal is to get to Palestine。 The members gang together and try to evade the British that want to bring them back。 They do things like disguise themselves as the British by using their trucks and clothing and a plan to say that all of them are from Israel and not Poland。 As they get on a ship to make their journey to Palestine Ruth realizes her brother Simon is alive。 She had not seen him since they entered the concentration camp。 As they approach the Middle East and see British ships coming towards them they work together to fight them off and make it to land。 The citizens on land have prepared for them to disembark the ship and bring them dry clothes and even wet their hair so that the soldiers cannot tell the difference between the people who was on the beach and the people who had gotten off of the ship。 The British end up taking everyone to Cyprus。 Ruth ends up escaping and meeting her brother Simon in Israel to call it her new home。 After the War was an incredible book。 The combination of realism and over exaggeration to keep you reading page after page by having engaging action in such a short book is what made me so interested。 I would recommend this book to anyone who likes a very quick engaging read about the hardships and troubles that Holocaust victims have had to go through。 。。。more

Maryann ，

3。5*

farmgirlbookworm ，

It's been a while since I read this but from what I remember it was pretty good。 Definitely not for kids under the age of 13 or 14。 Speaking as a non-denominational Christian， Matas's theology is rarely correct， so expect that from this book。 I will update if I ever re-read it。 It's been a while since I read this but from what I remember it was pretty good。 Definitely not for kids under the age of 13 or 14。 Speaking as a non-denominational Christian， Matas's theology is rarely correct， so expect that from this book。 I will update if I ever re-read it。 。。。more

Honor Alo ，

“ I thought you were all dead。 Didn’t those gas ovens finish you all off？”- Brigette （p。 1） After The War is placed in Poland during and after the Nazi revolution。 The main character is Ruth， a young girl who is only fifteen and has limited knowledge of the real effect the revolution and Nazi's had， she feels like she has no hope in the situation she’s in。 After a raid of angry polish people hear that there’s a group of refugees of children that she’s apart of， she is forced to hide until every “ I thought you were all dead。 Didn’t those gas ovens finish you all off？”- Brigette （p。 1） After The War is placed in Poland during and after the Nazi revolution。 The main character is Ruth， a young girl who is only fifteen and has limited knowledge of the real effect the revolution and Nazi's had， she feels like she has no hope in the situation she’s in。 After a raid of angry polish people hear that there’s a group of refugees of children that she’s apart of， she is forced to hide until everything cools down。 Their objective is to make it to Palestine， they have to fight and sneak through many places to reach their destination。 A quote on page 58。 It reads， “ Italy in July is simply breathtaking in its beauty。 I feel myself on the verge of tears as we travel。” This quote uses imagery to describe the beauty and happiness Italy brought to Ruth while in the situation she’s in。 。。。more

Kati Polodna ，

A quick read that still had some emotional punch。 Good for older middle grade and YA readers。

Yvonne Crawford ，

if you like young adult books and history you will love this book

Sarah ，

*Internally screaming！！！* This book was sooo good。 A must read for teens and young adults interested in history， WWII， and adventure。 Little bit of romance too！ <3 <3 After the War is a thrilling book written in a captivating way。 This book fit the description of a status （that I can't find anymore） so perfectly。 I loved the book， it made me think， it made me want to cry， it made me want to throw it at a wall （gently because）， it made me laugh， and then I hugged it so tightly。 It's actually real *Internally screaming！！！* This book was sooo good。 A must read for teens and young adults interested in history， WWII， and adventure。 Little bit of romance too！ <3 <3 After the War is a thrilling book written in a captivating way。 This book fit the description of a status （that I can't find anymore） so perfectly。 I loved the book， it made me think， it made me want to cry， it made me want to throw it at a wall （gently because）， it made me laugh， and then I hugged it so tightly。 It's actually really interesting that the author wrote in the present tense at all times （except for memories）。 I loved all the characters and their development so much。This book is small （132pgs。 in my edition） and I found it in the kids books section at the library， but I really don’t think it’s appropriate to be in the kid aisle。 It's pretty descriptive of the suffering the Jews and others endured in Poland at the time of the Holocaust。 I’ve read a couple other WWII kids books and none were so descriptive and violent as this one。 But now， at my age， I appreciate learning about what the children of the holocaust went through。 It’s important to know this history so we， the next generation of the world， don't repeat it。 There was also a bit of romance that was， in my opinion， over the top for children as well。 This is， however， an ALA Best Book for Young Adults and I would highly recommend it to teens and young adults。 。。。more

Aliyah ，

Ruth Mendenberg’s world was turned upside down by World War II。 For years she lived in a concentration camp， enduring hideous conditions。 Upon her release， she comes to believe that she is the only survivor in her entire family。 She has nowhere to go， and worst of all， she is alone。 Through a random encounter with a stranger， she ends up joining an organization that smuggles illegal immigrants to Palestine， and is tasked with the job of helping to lead a group of children from Poland to Palestin Ruth Mendenberg’s world was turned upside down by World War II。 For years she lived in a concentration camp， enduring hideous conditions。 Upon her release， she comes to believe that she is the only survivor in her entire family。 She has nowhere to go， and worst of all， she is alone。 Through a random encounter with a stranger， she ends up joining an organization that smuggles illegal immigrants to Palestine， and is tasked with the job of helping to lead a group of children from Poland to Palestine。 The journey that ensues is one that requires bravery and secrecy， and the weary group encounter both difficulties and joys along the way。 At the core of this book though， is the story of the journey that Ruth sets out on。 Not a physical journey， but a journey of the heart。 The awful realities of the war are imprinted on her mind， and her heart is seemingly frozen。 She’s simply going through the motions – she has receded into a state of numbness。 Hearing the tragic stories of so many people is hard， but it’s even harder to share her own。 She sometimes thaws a little and begins to show some love and affection， but as soon as the possibility of getting hurt arises， she recedes again。 After the War is the story of Ruth’s heart being slowly put back together， piece by piece。 It’s the story of her torn heart healing。After the War was an enjoyable read。 It’s quite short， so can be completed in a couple of hours， depending on your reading speed。One of the things I didn’t like about it was how fast the story moved。 The plot progressed really quickly， too quickly I think。 More time was needed on most aspects of it， and the whole story felt choppy because of the speed。 If the author had developed the characters and gone deeper into each part of the story， it would have been a lot better。 Historical context and development would have been nice too。 The ending was quite predictable and while it was technically a satisfactory ending， I didn’t like it for various reasons that I won’t mention because they would spoil it。 :DIt wasn’t all bad though。 I liked that this book dealt with the story of someone after the war， rather than during it。 We often hear only about what happened during the war， and forget that things didn’t go back to ‘normal’ for some time。 War torn countries went through long healing processes， as did war torn people。 Those who survived had to heal physically， mentally， and emotionally， and that was not easy process。 Through one main person， this book gave an insightful look into what the lives of so many were like during the first few years after the war。 Despite the shortcomings of this book， it was still an interesting read。 I recommend this book for ages 12+ and give it 3 out of 5 stars。 。。。more

Greenlee ，

This book was wonderful！ I loved the storyline and the events and just the overall era of this book！ I recommend this to anyone and everyone！！！！

Jacob Resnick ，

This boom explorers the mind of a Jewish girl in World War 2 after her family is gone a interesting a excellent way that makes you feel invested in the characters and the plot， but it is a little short。

Katniss ，

Amazing book！ Great！ This book is sad， happy， and just generally emotional！ I would say it is a must-read！ It gives a Jewish teenager's story about after World War II。 Must-read！ Amazing book！ Great！ This book is sad， happy， and just generally emotional！ I would say it is a must-read！ It gives a Jewish teenager's story about after World War II。 Must-read！ 。。。more

Hanne T ，

A really nice portraying of the Jews moving to Palestine after WWII 。 。 。 not something usually thought about。 SO GOOD。

Diane ，

Ruth is a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp。 It is right after the war and she has no idea whether or not her family is alive。 She returns to where her uncle used to live to find their former maid （German） has claimed the property。 Ruth has nowhere to turn until she meets Saul， a young man helping Jews get to Palestine。 She takes up with Saul， helping to chaperone a group of children trying to get to Israel。 She meets many other Jews with awful stories， too， and gradually she feels her emoti Ruth is a survivor of a Nazi concentration camp。 It is right after the war and she has no idea whether or not her family is alive。 She returns to where her uncle used to live to find their former maid （German） has claimed the property。 Ruth has nowhere to turn until she meets Saul， a young man helping Jews get to Palestine。 She takes up with Saul， helping to chaperone a group of children trying to get to Israel。 She meets many other Jews with awful stories， too， and gradually she feels her emotions awakening from their deadened state。 But is she brave enough to love again？ 。。。more

John ，

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 I think After the War is a good book if you like World War 2。 This book follows a Jewish kid hiding from the Nazi's。 She goes to Palestine Israel to escape the Nazi's。 I think After the War is a good book if you like World War 2。 This book follows a Jewish kid hiding from the Nazi's。 She goes to Palestine Israel to escape the Nazi's。 。。。more

Bia ，

Wow。This is a short， but intense book。It came with my kids' 21st Century World History reading package。Very vivid and graphic descriptions of wartime abuse， hardship and post-war discrimination。Highly recommended。 Wow。This is a short， but intense book。It came with my kids' 21st Century World History reading package。Very vivid and graphic descriptions of wartime abuse， hardship and post-war discrimination。Highly recommended。 。。。more

mackenzie ，

I was required to read After the War for a novel study， therefore I don't have much to say about it because I didn't choose it myself and the subject didn't really interest me。 However， I did like how the author wrote about what happened after the Holocaust as opposed to during， because I've noticed that's very rarely seen in literature。 Other than that， I didn't like the writing style or quality， and I found much of the dialogue forced and unrealistic。 But， like I said， my Language Arts teacher I was required to read After the War for a novel study， therefore I don't have much to say about it because I didn't choose it myself and the subject didn't really interest me。 However， I did like how the author wrote about what happened after the Holocaust as opposed to during， because I've noticed that's very rarely seen in literature。 Other than that， I didn't like the writing style or quality， and I found much of the dialogue forced and unrealistic。 But， like I said， my Language Arts teacher selected this， so I suppose I can't complain。 。。。more

Brandy Simmons ，

After the War by Carol Matas is inspiring， terrifying and heartbreaking。 The novel is set in Europe after WWII and chronicles Ruth's journey to Palestine。 Ruth is a 15 year old survivor from Auschwitz who is all alone。 Separated from her family during the war， she longs to find her family members， but assumes they are all dead。 She is afraid to love or make connections with other people。 Ruth's sole purpose is to survive another day。 She meets Saul， a man from Palestine who is trying to help Eur After the War by Carol Matas is inspiring， terrifying and heartbreaking。 The novel is set in Europe after WWII and chronicles Ruth's journey to Palestine。 Ruth is a 15 year old survivor from Auschwitz who is all alone。 Separated from her family during the war， she longs to find her family members， but assumes they are all dead。 She is afraid to love or make connections with other people。 Ruth's sole purpose is to survive another day。 She meets Saul， a man from Palestine who is trying to help European Jews move to Palestine。 Europe is still unsafe after the war。 Antisemitism still thrives in Europe。 Jews are randomly attacked， sometimes even murdered。 Saul urges Ruth to join is movement and help bring children to Palestine。 Ruth is hesitant at first， but then realizes she has "nothing better to do"。 Through Ruth's journey across Europe， she learns to love， to feel and to live again。I do not typically read historical fiction， but I enjoyed this novel。 I honestly never considered what the Jewish people went through after WWII。 We assume the horrors of WWII ended with the war， but the novel brings to light the terror and daily struggle continued for many people。 Although this is a heartbreaking tale of genocide and hate， it also is an inspiring tale of survival。 Ruth is an amazing young woman。 She leads these children across Europe， not only making decisions that saves all of their lives， but also taking care of the children's daily needs。 Although Ruth is traumatized by the events she has witnessed， she never stops fighting for survival。 I love seeing such a strong female protagonist。 Novels like these are so important for young girls， especially those that are survivors of trauma。 Ruth serves as an example for young girls， showing they can overcome their past。 Carol Matas illustrates it is okay to learn to love， laugh and live again， however， this is a process that takes time and self-reflection。 For Ruth， this meant remembering her family， talking about her trauma and allowing herself to cry。 I recently lost my own mother and this novel helped me deal with my grief。Overall， this was a great novel， which broaden my perspective of the events in Europe。 Due to the violence of some of the scenes， this may be a difficult novel for some younger readers。 However， I do fee the novel was very well written and was not overly gruesome。 。。。more

penelopewanders ，

I bought this as something I might want to read with an advanced EFL class with the theme of WWII。 I am not sure if I can fit it in， but it provides another facette to the picture of an era。 I found it extremely moving and am not sure all the students in the group would be comfortable with this reality。 Now I'm curious to read other books by this author。 I bought this as something I might want to read with an advanced EFL class with the theme of WWII。 I am not sure if I can fit it in， but it provides another facette to the picture of an era。 I found it extremely moving and am not sure all the students in the group would be comfortable with this reality。 Now I'm curious to read other books by this author。 。。。more

Amy ，

3。5 stars。 A beautifully written novel with a rich emotional core and a strong， contemporary， relatable young adult vibe。 While it could be confusing at times， considering that the locations changed frequently and the setting details were left rather vague， the story was held together by a very strong female heroine; one who was very original， three-dimensional， and emotionally compelling。 I enjoyed this book a lot more than I originally thought I would :）

Reference

google book https://www.google.com/search?tbm=bks&q=After the War

hathitrust digital library https://babel.hathitrust.org/cgi/ls?q1=After the War&field1=ocr&a=srchls&ft=ft&lmt=ft

The British Library https://bll01.primo.exlibrisgroup.com/discovery/search?query=any,contains,After the War&tab=LibraryCatalog&search_scope=Not_BL_Suppress&vid=44BL_INST:BLL01&lang=en&offset=0