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A review by twiinklex
After the War: From Auschwitz to Ambleside by Tom Palmer
4.0
This is a beautiful novel that focuses on the Windermere Children: Jewish child survivors of WWII who were freed from Nazi concentration camps. I liked how this book highlighted a lesser-known part of history (at least to me): What happened to the kids after they were liberated from concentration camps and before they were reunited with family? Where did they go? What did they go through? What was the transition like for them?
The author perfectly captured the thoughts and emotions of this group of children, such as how they remained afraid and uncertain even after being brought to England. Their amazement at essentials such as food, electricity, clothes and having their own beds to sleep in. Their fear that this was a trap that they were all too familiar with; being told that they were being brought to a 'better place', only to end up imprisoned.
Many things stuck out for me e.g. the kids hoarding and fighting over food despite assurance that there would be enough for everyone, how they hid their very minimal possessions under their pillows so that nobody would steal them, the loss of identity and not knowing where you belong or where home is. I also enjoyed the friendship between the three boys.
Truly illuminating.
The author perfectly captured the thoughts and emotions of this group of children, such as how they remained afraid and uncertain even after being brought to England. Their amazement at essentials such as food, electricity, clothes and having their own beds to sleep in. Their fear that this was a trap that they were all too familiar with; being told that they were being brought to a 'better place', only to end up imprisoned.
Many things stuck out for me e.g. the kids hoarding and fighting over food despite assurance that there would be enough for everyone, how they hid their very minimal possessions under their pillows so that nobody would steal them, the loss of identity and not knowing where you belong or where home is. I also enjoyed the friendship between the three boys.
Truly illuminating.