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4.27 AVERAGE
4.27 AVERAGE
The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer (Author), Nancy Peterson (Narrator), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)
In 1942, fourteen year old Elzbieta Rabinek is living with her adopted parents and uncle in Warsaw. Although Elzbieta has seen horrible things already, things she can tell no one, she is still naïve about what is going on in the ghetto just a few blocks from her apartment. She is mostly bored with having to stay in her apartment and not getting to go to school because of the Nazi occupation. When Elzbieta meets her neighbor Sara, who works to smuggle Jewish children out of the ghettos, Elzbieta knows that she wants to carry on the legacy of her birth family, by helping to protect the ghetto children who are being persecuted.
Sixteen year old Roman Gorka lives in the ghetto with his parents, nine year old brother, and baby sister. They are starving and he struggles every day to bring home scraps of food for his mother, in the hopes that she can have any milk for his baby sister. His world is his family and he can't stand the idea of ever being separated from any of them. He'd rather die with them than to escape the horrors of the ghetto without them. He and his family have to face the fact that the only way for his baby sister to live is to give her up to those who are willing to get her to a compassionate family outside of the ghetto walls.
This story pulls no punches. It's one of constant starvation, brutality, death, and destruction. Elzbieta and Roman meet because Elzbieta is tutoring Jewish children so that they can pass as non Jews once they escape the ghetto. No words can convey the nightmare of all that goes on during the years that Elzbieta and Roman are together or apart. While Elzbieta faces the horrors and eventually wants to move on towards peace, Roman's heart is so full of revenge and hatred that even if they live through this war, he may never be able to stop fighting long enough to live again. The story is heartbreaking but also shines a light on heroes during the darkest of times.
This story is a companion piece to the earlier The Things We Cannot Say.
Pub June 1st 2021 by Harlequin Audio
In 1942, fourteen year old Elzbieta Rabinek is living with her adopted parents and uncle in Warsaw. Although Elzbieta has seen horrible things already, things she can tell no one, she is still naïve about what is going on in the ghetto just a few blocks from her apartment. She is mostly bored with having to stay in her apartment and not getting to go to school because of the Nazi occupation. When Elzbieta meets her neighbor Sara, who works to smuggle Jewish children out of the ghettos, Elzbieta knows that she wants to carry on the legacy of her birth family, by helping to protect the ghetto children who are being persecuted.
Sixteen year old Roman Gorka lives in the ghetto with his parents, nine year old brother, and baby sister. They are starving and he struggles every day to bring home scraps of food for his mother, in the hopes that she can have any milk for his baby sister. His world is his family and he can't stand the idea of ever being separated from any of them. He'd rather die with them than to escape the horrors of the ghetto without them. He and his family have to face the fact that the only way for his baby sister to live is to give her up to those who are willing to get her to a compassionate family outside of the ghetto walls.
This story pulls no punches. It's one of constant starvation, brutality, death, and destruction. Elzbieta and Roman meet because Elzbieta is tutoring Jewish children so that they can pass as non Jews once they escape the ghetto. No words can convey the nightmare of all that goes on during the years that Elzbieta and Roman are together or apart. While Elzbieta faces the horrors and eventually wants to move on towards peace, Roman's heart is so full of revenge and hatred that even if they live through this war, he may never be able to stop fighting long enough to live again. The story is heartbreaking but also shines a light on heroes during the darkest of times.
This story is a companion piece to the earlier The Things We Cannot Say.
Pub June 1st 2021 by Harlequin Audio
This one would have been 4 stars if the final quarter of the book hadn’t happened.
I really enjoyed that this felt unique in its choice of character flaws - Roman’s inability to find peace and the concept of social justice as an obsession; Piotr’s opportunistic approach to the war and that he was still loved and grieved for in spite of these selfish behaviors - as well as the setting in and around the Warsaw Ghetto; showcasing life in this city during the Nazi occupation and even after the war, as it took Poland far longer than other countries to find peace and a stable government. My biggest frustration was the incorporation of SA into the plot, which felt completely unnecessary and took me on a far less interesting journey through the final quarter of the book.
I really enjoyed that this felt unique in its choice of character flaws - Roman’s inability to find peace and the concept of social justice as an obsession; Piotr’s opportunistic approach to the war and that he was still loved and grieved for in spite of these selfish behaviors - as well as the setting in and around the Warsaw Ghetto; showcasing life in this city during the Nazi occupation and even after the war, as it took Poland far longer than other countries to find peace and a stable government. My biggest frustration was the incorporation of SA into the plot, which felt completely unnecessary and took me on a far less interesting journey through the final quarter of the book.
I’m a sucker for World War Two novels. This one takes place in Poland.
If you are into the sad and tragic of ww2….this could be for you!
If you are into the sad and tragic of ww2….this could be for you!
I listened to the audiobook version of this, and unfortunately did not enjoy the story of Roman in the voice he was given. My opinion may have been different if I read the print version of the book. This story was well written and I am looking forward to reading other novels by this author. Just wasn’t a fan of the person that voiced Roman!
Beautifully written book about life in Warsaw Ghettos and the Polish Uprising during WWII and the invasion of Poland. Many emotions felt by the characters (and me!) while listening to the narrators. Definitely recommend this one!
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
I've been interested in the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the Polish Resistance Warsaw uprising since I first learned about them when I visited Warsaw (which seems crazy that I didn't know about them before, but anyway). I think this is the first historical fiction book I've read that covers both of them, and even though I read a lot of information at museums, it's different to "experience" them as part of a story. I'd like to do some more in-depth reading about both.