In the spring of 1942, Roman Gorka, who lives in a Warsaw ghetto is doing the best he can to help his family survive despite the heartbreaking odds stacked against them. After forcing himself to become friends with a boy who knows a bit too much, Roman meets a young girl who will dare to help him.
Elzbieta Rabinek has gone through an incredibly heartbreaking situation that forced her to abandon the town she lived in as well as caused her family to die. Adopted, fourteen and feeling restless, Elzbieta meets a young nurse, Sara and dares to make attempts to help young Jewish children out of ghetto, but that is until war heats up and life and death are no longer a child's game to play. From the darkest hours of WWII until the beginning of the Communist regime in Poland, what will Elzbieta's and Roman's fate be? Will they come out stronger or will WWII and its harrowing events break their spirits permanently?
I have been reading Kelly Rimmer's tales since 2018, when I got introduced to her first novel, BEFORE I LET YOU GO, and with each successive novel, Kelly Rimmer shines brighter than the North Pole star. Her images, her tales, the contrasts she puts into each of her novels, from BEFORE I LET YOU GO to THE THINGS WE CANNOT SAY to TRUTHS I NEVER TOLD You up until THE WARSAW ORPHAN, are truly the mixes of legends and heartbreaks. She dares to go for the reader's heart, dares to flip our assumptions upside down, forcing the readers to question what they know from mere stereotypes that are fed into us.
THE WARSAW ORPHAN is no different but is truly a masterpiece of WWII fiction that I have read so far. It's heartbreaking, especially the carousel ride and the events that are experienced by each of the characters, from insignificant routine to bigger picture of heroism and patriotism. What's also masterful is how well she captures both of the characters' personalities, and of how they change throughout the war.
If you are looking for a tale of heroism, inspiration, WWII as well as a WWII that is more philosophical and heartbreaking than the standard fare, then THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer will truly be a joy to delve into and read.
No excerpt available.