Liz Kessler

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. Three friends. One memory. Vienna. 1936. Three young friends—Leo, Elsa, and Max—spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness and that they will soon be cruelly ripped apart from one another. With their lives taking them across Europe—to Germany, England, Prague, and Poland—will they ever find their way back to one another? Will they want to? Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking and that shows how the bonds of love, family, and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.

When the World Was Ours

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. For readers of Private Peaceful, The Book Thief and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. Three friends. Two sides. One memory. Vienna. 1936. Three young friends – Leo, Elsa and Max – spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness, and that events soon mean that they will be cruelly ripped apart from each other. With their lives taking them across Europe – to Germany, England, Prague and Poland – will they ever find their way back to each other? Will they want to? 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. 'When The World Was Ours is Liz's masterpiece . . . an instant classic' Anthony McGowan, winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal 'A wonderful book, half tragedy, but told with such sheer, warm humanity that it leaves you with hope' Hilary McKay, author of The Skylarks' War 'I haven't read a Holocaust book for children that's better' Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller 'When The World Was Ours is the most wonderful, terrible, powerful, important book I have read in years and years. It is so good, so real, so unflinching' Cathy Cassidy 'When The World Was Ours is an exceptionally powerful book based on Liz’s family’s extraordinary escape from Nazi occupied countries . . . a book I hope will be read and discussed by children everywhere' Francesca Simon 'An absolute masterpiece!' Keren David, author of What We're Scared Of 'This is a tour de force, a book about friendship and what happens when hate is institutionalised, but most of all it's a book about love' Catherine Johnson 'Utterly, utterly gut-churningly brilliant. It's a superb piece of writing. It should win everything going' Tanya Landman '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 'This striking Holocaust story was a real passion project for Liz Kessler and it shows. Begins in Vienna in the 1930s, following the fortunes of three friends over the following years. Inevitable ugly crying at the end' Karen McCombie 'When The World Was Ours is a gut-wrenching story of friendship torn apart by war. I can’t recommend it highly enough' Anna Wilson 'An unstoppable read - compassionate, angry and uplifting all at once' Katherine Langrish 'I just finished When The World Was Ours and I'm in tears. I don't think I've ever read anything so powerful, shocking or moving. Such an important book - it truly deserves to fly' Emma Pass 'This book is completely engaging and will engross young (and older) readers . . . it will prove to be very important, and widely read and recommended' Linda Newbery 'The most powerful book about the Holocaust I've ever read . . . it is an utterly stunning, and important, read. I'll be thinking about this one for a long time, and would urge everyone to read it' Kerry Drewery 'Powerful, heartbreaking, thought-provoking and timely. This story of three friends will be etched in my mind for a very long time. What an incredible novel' Emma Perry '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' John McLay 'Powerful, heart-wrenching' Leila Rasheed

When The World Was Ours

Eilidh 

Denaiir

it was a great read from the beginning (4 to 4.5 stars), but the ending shattered my heart, it's 5-star.

Ann-Sophie 

it started of chill and became worse through it. not the book was bad, i loved it. the stories became more cruel and the book destroyed me. i never knew that a book could make you question everything so easily

This book was horrifying, heartbreaking and excellent. I'm so glad I read no matter how upset it made me. 

Lily Sanson

Compelling and emotional book. We’ll worth a read 

Jag minns inte supermycket från den här boken då det var ett tag sedan jag läste den, men jag tyckte om den. 

Shannon Jade

When the World Was Ours by Liz Kessler tells the moving, powerful story of three children from Vienna as their lives descend from the dizzying heights of a birthday Ferris wheel ride to the lows of Second World War anti-Semitism. Moving quickly through time, this extraordinary novel rotates through the very different perspectives of Leo, Elsa, and Max as they respectively navigate escaping to England, surviving concentration camps, and joining Hitler Youth. 

Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is set across spaces and time, moving through moments and places in the midst of Nazism and the Second World War. Liz Kessler does a fantastic job of painting a realisitic and evocative picture of the world in which her insight into the lost magic of childhood in Vienna, the sense of loss that comes with a move to a new place, and the brutality of the concentration camps dotted throughout 1940s Europe.

The three main characters in When the World Was Ours, Leo, Elsa, and Max, are equally central to the narrative, each brining their own unique insights and experiences to the story. By using three linked characters with such greatly differing experiences of the war, Liz Kessler is able to offer something very powerful and unique to the catalogue of Second World War stories. Through Leo, Elsa, and Max, readers learn about love, friendship, right, wrong, hope, loss, fear, and more in clever, powerful ways. 

When the World Was Ours focuses on themes of friendship, hope, love, and survival. It is the kind of story that sticks with its readers long after they have finished reading. I’d recommend When the World Was Ours to readers of The Book Thief by Markus Zusak and The Diary of a Young Girl by Anne Frank.

Thank you to Simon and Schuster Australia and NetGalley for providing me with this eARC.

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caro(lee)na

this book is about 3 friends who are just kids; two were jews, one wasn’t. they were separated when the war started and through the years they still thought about each other even though their lives were difficult. 

i cried and cried and cried while reading this. it’s powerful and beautifully written at the same time. the pacing was perfect for my liking. i truly loved this book.

When the World Was Ours

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