This book was amazing, I loved everything about it. The characters, the plot, the historical accuracy-it was perfection! You could tell that a lot of effort and research was put into the making of such a wonderful book. This was a raw, unflinching look at the Holocaust but it was told in such an original way. 3 children who grew up together, then their lives went separate ways and yet they were all connected by one photograph, a memory of a wonderful happy birthday. The author's note at the start was helpful in learning the characters and the reasons for the author in shaping their lives, which made it all the more riveting. When I closed the cover, I just held the book to my chest as a I wiped a stray tear or two. So be warned! 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.

Given that anti-Semitism has never gone away, WHEN THE WORLD WAS OURS is an important read. With its fine writing and storytelling, this one gets my highest recommendation. In When the World Was Ours, we follow three children, Leo, Elsa, and Max, throughout the course of the war. The story opens when they are 9 years old, celebrating one of their birthdays with a magical day on the town. The three are best friends, inseparable. But Leo and Elsa are Jewish, and as Europe falls under Hitler's sway, the three take different paths.

MAX. As his father rises up the Nazi ranks, he suddenly finds that he is the danger his friends are trying so desperately to escape. I found this to be an incredibly heartbreaking story. I like that the author wrote it through the perspective of 3 children. Liz Kessler’s writing is excellent and her depiction of the slow, steady descent in the behaviour of those in society who discriminate and ill-treat others is chilling. These changes as seen through the children’s eyes are subtle at first, their parents whispering and worried, Max’s father no longer allowing him to play with his friends, the gradual introduction of restrictions for the Jewish community, the harsh separation in school and the humiliation and horror that will eventually follow this. Throughout the entire story, we know that this is true to the facts and that we must learn from history to ensure that the worst events in our past are never repeated. The parallels and relevance in our world today make this an even more important read. Many thanks to Aladdin Books / Simon & Schuster and Goodreads for the opportunity to read this gripping book in advance of its May 18, 2021 publication.

This stunning book is going to make you rage, and cry, and yelp with joy, then cry and rage again. A genuine tour de force from Liz Kessler. I couldn't put it down except to wipe away tears -- Joanna Nadin Die unterschiedlichen Perspektiven werden von unterschiedlichen Sprecher:innen gesprochen, die ihre Sache allesamt ausserordentlich gut machen. Ausserdem hat dieser Wechsel der Erzähler:innen bei der Orientierung geholfen, aus wessen Sicht die Handlung gerade erzählt wird. This book has the honour of being the only book that has ever made me cry. I never cry, but this was different.Amidst the heartbreak and tragedy, there are small moments of joy. For example, Elsa’s delight in acquiring a best friend, Greta, and their joint adoption of a cat they feed with scraps. Or Leo’s pride at overcoming the obstacles to getting himself and his mother to safety. These provide a counterpoint to some of the truly chilling scenes in the book: the school assembly at which Jewish children are singled out; the day Max accompanies his father to work and its location is revealed; and, later, Max’s feeling that it is “his destiny” when found a job at his father’s new posting. It’s difficult not to get a sense of foreboding also at Elsa’s hope that the outbreak of war against Germany means, “Everything is going to be all right. I can feel it in my bones and in my heart”. De insteek van dit verhaal werd gevormd door de herinneringen van haar eigen vader en andere familieleden aan de Tweede Wereldoorlog. De waargebeurde feiten werden aangevuld met eigen ideeën. Waar de scheiding ligt tussen fictie en Non-fictie verteld de auteur zelf in een kort voorwoord, alsook wat ze wil bereiken met het schrijven van dit boek. 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.

When The World Was Ours is an outstanding and powerful book. Days after I finished reading this I am still thinking about it; a compelling, heartbreaking story it is also one that highlights the importance of friendship, hope and love and those seemingly tiny moments that can, in reality, make a huge difference. Three Friends. Two sides. One memory. LEO must rely on the kindness of strangers to escape the rising threat to the Jewish people. ELSA, like Leo, is hated for simply being who she is. To be safe, she must run. MAX. As his father rises up the Nazi ranks, he suddenly finds that he is the danger his friends are trying so desperately to escape. You might also like...

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.