The Warsaw Orphan
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4.6 • 8 Ratings
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- £3.99
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- £3.99
Publisher Description
"Kelly Rimmer’s heart-stopping rendering of the war in Nazi-occupied Poland—of life, resistance, survival, and love—will captivate readers.”—Lisa Wingate, #1 New York Times bestselling author of Before We Were Yours
Inspired by the real-life heroine who saved thousands of Jewish children during WWII, The Warsaw Orphan is Kelly Rimmer’s most anticipated novel since her bestselling sensation, The Things We Cannot Say.
In the spring of 1942, young Elzbieta Rabinek is aware of the swiftly growing discord just beyond the courtyard of her comfortable Warsaw home. She has no fondness for the Germans who patrol her streets and impose their curfews, but has never given much thought to what goes on behind the walls that contain her Jewish neighbors. She knows all too well about German brutality—and that it’s the reason she must conceal her true identity. But in befriending Sara, a nurse who shares her apartment floor, Elzbieta makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception and heroism.
Using Sara's credentials to smuggle children out of the ghetto brings Elzbieta face-to-face with the reality of the war behind its walls, and to the plight of the Gorka family, who must make the impossible decision to give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka, this final injustice stirs him to rebellion with a zeal not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. But his recklessness brings unwanted attention to Sara's cause, unwittingly putting Elzbieta and her family in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.
From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman's perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew.
"A surefire hit [and] a heartbreaking and hopeful story of family, duty, love, salvation, and resistance. The Warsaw Orphan will bring tears to your eyes with its authentically woven complications, moral dilemmas, and unavoidable truths. A thoughtful, beautiful novel." Kristin Harmel, New York Times bestselling author of The Book of Lost Names
“Heartbreaking, intensely moving, this story of the horrors of the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II is also a wonderful, ultimately life-affirming love story. Roman and Emilia are intensely appealing characters to root for, and I felt like I was right there with them through every step of their journey. Bravo, Kelly Rimmer! I’m going to be recommending this book to everyone I know.” —Karen Robards, New York Times bestselling author of The Black Swans of Paris
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Rimmer's gripping latest (after Truths I Never Told You) captures the harrowing risks faced by two teenagers whose families live on opposite sides of the Warsaw Ghetto wall in Nazi-occupied Poland. In 1942, 16-year-old Roman Gorka has survived almost two years in the ghetto with his parents, younger brother, and three other families crowded into their apartment. His new baby sister, Eleonora, complicates matters, and Roman, who works a factory job, struggles to feed the family. Meanwhile Elzbieta Rabinek, 14, has moved to Warsaw with her adopted parents and uncle to an apartment nearby. Elzbieta soon becomes involved in smuggling Jewish children out of the ghetto and offers to do the same for Eleonora. The family agrees once the Germans begin the daily deportations from the ghetto and rumors circulate of mass slaughter. As the story unfolds, with Roman caught up in the 1943 Warsaw Ghetto Uprising, he forms a close bond with Elzbieta. Rimmer does a great job of bringing WWII Warsaw to life, particularly the clandestine efforts of nurses to rescue Jewish children. There's no shortage of novels that travel similar terrain, but this one easily stands on its own.
