By Liz Kessler
Published by Simon & Schuster
Set initially in 1936 Vienna, this gripping tale, inspired by a true story, follows the lives of three young friends as war gradually engulfs their lives, pulling them in directions none of them could have imagined or anticipated. A chance encounter proves to be a lifeline and the reader is transported into the horrors of the Holocaust and how ordinary people were dragged into the brutality of a horrific regime.
Each chapter is told from the perspective of one of the three friends, their individual stories are utterly compelling, as their lives take different directions, whilst impacted by the war.
Leo, Elsa and Max imagine they will remain best friends forever. They spend a perfect day together, unaware that all around them tensions are mounting in Europe. Two of the children are Jewish and as Hitler rises to power in Germany, the three friends are destined to take very different paths.
Recommended reading for young adults (12+), but adults too, this book should be in every school library and studied to ensure history isn’t repeated. Powerful, heart-breaking, thought-provoking and timely, I can’t recommend this book highly enough.
Review by John Hopley