When The World Was Ours: A book about finding hope in the darkest of times

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From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a poignant and harrowing story of three young friends whose fates are intertwined during the devastation of the Holocaust—based on a true story. I take a deep breath as I write this, and try to make sense of my thoughts after finishing this book. The Second World War has inspired many stories, and told the stories of many people over the years. These books for teenagers take a variety of different approaches to representing the events of World War II. Elsa, Max and Leo are firm friends and live in Vienna. They love playing tag in the park, swimming and doing all the normal kid things. Yet, over time, Max’s dad decides that “people like” Leo and Elsa’s parents are the reason for him losing his job and having no money… and it seems that a lot of people agree with him. In fact, Elsa’s parents decide in 1937 that it’s too dangerous for them to live in Vienna anymore, and move to Czechoslovakia.

The story reaches a breathtaking crescendo when we witness an interweaving of the three family stories years after the Ferris wheel ride: Elsa’s family is sent to Auschwitz on a death camp train. Leo’s now-emaciated dad is there, too, forced into slave labor in exchange for staying alive. And Max and his dad are working there. Billy Joel’s father, a German Jew, escaped the Nazis and reached America, via Switzerland and Cuba. As it contains strong themes and distressing scenes, this moving and well written and researched book about the holocaust is only suitable for readers 12+. Drawing on Kessler’s own family history, it’s a brilliant and yet haunting read; essential for young readers who must, like all of us, never forget. President Joe Biden on Friday denounced a recent increase in antisemitic incidents in a statement, calling them ‘despicable, unconscionable, un-American.’ Seeing Max being raised as a Nazi broke my heart, I hated seeing his father force an innocent child from a young age to have these preposterous mentalities, but I guess this was the harsh reality of the time.Het slot van het boek zit zeer goed in elkaar. Sommige verhaallijnen komen samen en worden mooi afgesloten. Dit op een serene manier dat zeker past bij het verhaal. A powerful and heart-breaking novel about three childhood friends living during the Second World War whose fates are closely intertwined, even when their lives take very different courses. Inspired by a true story, this is the perfect read for fans of The Book Thief and Anne Frank's The Diary of a Young Girl. Liz has written twenty-three books in total, including two young adult novels and two Early Reader series. Inspired by the true story of her father’s escape from Nazi-occupied Europe, in When The World Was Ours the author takes the reader on a journey from Vienna in 1936 to the outbreak of the Second World War and beyond in the company of three childhood friends – Leo, Max and Elsa. Since Leo and Elsa are Jewish, the lives of the three children, and their families, are destined to take very different paths. In 1937 the strained friendship is severed when, fearing the cruelty of the Nazis, Elsa’s family moves to Czechoslovakia.

Over the years, I’ve read and written about some truly outstanding books relating to Hitler, the Nazi movement, and the Hitler Youth movement. But WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS moved me like nothing I’ve read before. It breaks my heart that the author Liz Kessler is a Brit, not an American, since it means this not-to-be-missed read is not eligible for the Newbery Medal. It’s that good--a powerful and impeccably-written story that I wholeheartedly recommend for 10-14 year-olds. Very moved by the new Liz Kessler novel . . . the story and the story behind it. I wish I was a Costa judge next year as well Inspired by a true story, WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking, and shows how the bonds of love, family and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.The narrative is told in the three voices of the children; Leo’s in the first person past tense and Elsa’s in the first person present tense. We accompany these two children as they are swept up in events making identification with them more intense. Max’s story is told in the third person providing greater distance between the character and the reader and allowing a more objective view of his behaviour. The writing is compelling and frequently heartbreaking, so much so that initially I found myself stopping every so often to collect my thoughts. As the story progressed the bond with the characters, particularly, in my case, Elsa ensured that I kept reading without stopping. This is an unforgettable story. Words for Life is created by the National Literacy Trust and supported by UK publishers with funding for its creation from the DfE and Kindred 2. In 1938, Max’s father gets promoted to being an SS Officer in Herr Hitler’s new Germany, and the family move to Munich. Joining the German Youth movement and attending a different kind of school, Max starts to feel part of something and no longer left out on the sidelines. His activities give him a sense of pride, except for when his teachers say horrible things about Jews. Shortly after, Hitler takes Czechoslovakia. Leo’s family search desperately for a way out of Germany, but opportunities for Jews to leave are very few. The characters were all fantastic, and I loved the immensely powerful friendship they had. It's so depressing how their lives had to be torn apart from such a young age, and seeing them grow and mature over the years. Wow. Just wow.