When the World Was Ours

Written by Liz Kessler

Three friends torn apart by war seek hope and reunion.

4.5 Goodreads · 6,970 ratings

352 pages· 64,837 words· Est. 7 hour read· HL630L

$18.99Save 7%

In stock. Also at Amazon or Bookshop.

Bookroo's summary

In 1936 Vienna, Leo, Elsa, and Max share a perfect day, unaware of the looming darkness of war. As Europe descends into chaos, their lives are shattered, scattering them across Germany, England, Prague, and Poland. Will they find their way back to each other, or has the war changed them forever? This poignant tale, inspired by true events, explores the enduring power of friendship and hope amidst the devastation of the Holocaust.

From the publisher

From the New York Times bestselling author of the Emily Windsnap series, Liz Kessler, comes a “brutally honest and totally believable” (Booklist, starred review) 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.