Našlaitė iš Varšuvos

by Kelly Rimmer, Birutė Bersėnienė (Translator)

Naujas bestselerių autorės Kelly Rimmer romanas apie meilę ir pasiaukojimą, įkvėptas tikros istorijos apie lenkų pasipriešinimo judėjimo veikėją Ireną Sendler, kurios narsa ir gebėjimas sutelkti žmones per Antrąjį pasaulinį karą padėjo išgelbėti daugiau nei 2500 žydų vaikų.

1942-aisiais jaunoji Elžbieta Rabinek saugiai gyvena savo namuose Varšuvoje, nors ir jausdama, kad už buto sienų tvenkiasi tamsūs debesys. Jai atgrasūs gatvėmis patruliuojantys vokiečiai, primetantys savo įsakymus, tačiau mergina niekad nesusimąstė apie tai, kas vyksta už geto sienų, kur gyvena jos kaimynai žydai. Ir tik susipažinusi su medicinos seserimi Sara ji įsitraukia į pavojingą, bet drąsos ir heroizmo pilną pasaulį. Abi moterys turi teisę patekti į geto teritoriją, todėl stengiasi iš mirties nagų ištraukti kuo daugiau vaikų...

Gelbėdama mažuosius, Elžbieta pamato tikrąsias karo baisybes ir kasdien susiduria su nepakeliama tėvų dilema: atiduoti savo vaiką mylinčioms šeimoms už geto ribų ar regėti, kaip jis miršta nuo bado ir išsekimo. Per vieną tokių operacijų moterys susipažįsta su Gorkų šeima, mėginančia bet kokia kaina išgelbėti savo naujagimę dukterį. Tačiau paaugliui sūnui Romanui Gorkai tai tampa paskutiniu lašu ir taip perpildytoje kančių taurėje – jis sukyla prieš neteisybę, pastatydamas į pavojų Elžbietą ir jos šeimą. Bet ar žiaurūs likimo vingiai gali pažaboti netikėtai užsimezgusią meilę ir beatodairišką laisvės siekį?

Įvairialypę nacių ir sovietų prievartą atskleidžiančiame romane išryškėja žinutė, kad gyventi ir taikiai kovoti už gyvenimą visada verta, nepaisant siaubingų išbandymų ir kitų žmonių žiaurumo.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Audiobook, Historical, Holocaust, Book Club

384 pages, Hardcover

First published April 28, 2021

About the author

Kelly Rimmer is the author of historical and contemporary fiction, including The Warsaw Orphan, The Things We Cannot Say and The Secret Daughter, with 3 million books sold. Her books have been translated into dozens of languages and have appeared on bestseller lists around the world, including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and USA Today.

Since 2022, Kelly has owned and operated Collins Booksellers Orange, the last remaining bookstore in the small regional city she calls home. Her next novel, The Midnight Estate, will be released in Australia, New Zealand and the UK in July 2025.

Reviews

[MarilynW · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer (Author), Nancy Peterson (Narrator), Charlie Thurston (Narrator)

In 1942, fourteen year old Elzbieta Rabinek is living with her adopted parents and uncle in Warsaw. Although Elzbieta has seen horrible things already, things she can tell no one, she is still naïve about what is going on in the ghetto just a few blocks from her apartment. She is mostly bored with having to stay in her apartment and not getting to go to school because of the Nazi occupation. When Elzbieta meets her neighbor Sara, who works to smuggle Jewish children out of the ghettos, Elzbieta knows that she wants to carry on the legacy of her birth family, by helping to protect the ghetto children who are being persecuted. 

Sixteen year old Roman Gorka lives in the ghetto with his parents, nine year old brother, and baby sister. They are starving and he struggles every day to bring home scraps of food for his mother, in the hopes that she can have any milk for his baby sister. His world is his family and he can't stand the idea of ever being separated from any of them. He'd rather die with them than to escape the horrors of the ghetto without them. He and his family have to face the fact that the only way for his baby sister to live is to give her up to those who are willing to get her to a compassionate family outside of the ghetto walls. 

This story pulls no punches. It's one of constant starvation, brutality, death, and destruction. Elzbieta and Roman meet because Elzbieta is tutoring Jewish children so that they can pass as non Jews once they escape the ghetto. No words can convey the nightmare of all that goes on during the years that Elzbieta and Roman are together or apart. While Elzbieta faces the horrors and eventually wants to move on towards peace, Roman's heart is so full of revenge and hatred that even if they live through this war, he may never be able to stop fighting long enough to live again. The story is heartbreaking but also shines a light on heroes during the darkest of times. 

This story is a companion piece to the earlier The Things We Cannot Say.

Pub June 1, 2021 by Harlequin Audio

[Angela M · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Things We Cannot Say was one of my favorite books of 2019, so I was more than touched by the connection between that novel and this one. This one also depicts the horrors of the Holocaust with emphasis on the Warsaw Ghetto, the Polish Uprising and the strength and bravery of the resistance. It’s not easy to read from the beginning, reflective of most Holocaust stories. There’s starvation, the overcrowded ghetto, a nine year old boy whose unpaid job it is to help the police pick up the dead bodies in the street. There are details of the day to day life in the ghetto, the growing fear and understanding of what was to come with the deportations to the death camps, the heartbreaking recognition of what it would take, what it would mean to save your children, the bravery and goodness of those who saved as many children as they could, the courage of those who joined the resistance, the fear and misery that the deportations bring when they happen.

In an interview, (https://www.noapologybookreviews.com/...) Kelly Rimmer tells that her inspiration for the novel was a real person named Irena Sendler, who saved over 2500 Jewish children in Warsaw from being sent to death camps . Once again I was moved as I have read Irena's Children: The Extraordinary Story of the Woman Who Saved 2,500 Children from the Warsaw Ghetto and knew of Sendler’s courage and heart. Sara, a social worker and nurse who works to save Jewish children is a character in this novel and is loosely based on Irena . The story, though, is centered on two young people - Roman and Emilia and their families. Rimmler has done another excellent job with another WWII story, another important Holocaust story that has to be read and remembered. It’s beautifully written and these are characters who are easy to care about and admire as they face loss and indescribable grief, yet still have the capacity for love and hope. An excellent piece of historical fiction, one of my favorite genres.

I received a copy of this book from Graydon House through Edelweiss.

[Lindsay L · Rating 4 out of 5]

4 stars!

This is an extremely well-written, harrowing and emotional story that will stay with me a long time.

Kelly Rimmer knows how to create the most endearing, realistic, root-worthy characters. I have read much of her backlist and have always found myself completely wrapped up within her characters lives and situations. This novel was no different.

This book tells the story of two families fighting to survive in Warsaw during WWII. The dual narrative is executed brilliantly and immediately drew me in. My heart ached for the characters within the first few pages of chapter 1 - that’s how strong this authors writing is. There are several gut wrenching scenes that will forever be embedded in my mind and as hard as they were to read, they were essential in telling these characters stories and showing the true devastation of the times.

My one tiny critique is that I found there were small sections of the book that felt drawn out. My intense connection wasn’t consistently held throughout and my attention did slightly waver.

This novel is an important and eye-opening look into this devastating time in our history. I hope this author continues to write these unforgettable historical fiction novels. If you haven’t read, The Things We Cannot Say, by this author, I strongly suggest you do - it’s my favourite historical fiction book by her.

Thank you to the publisher for the review copy through Edelweiss!

[Karren Sandercock · Rating 5 out of 5]

Elzbieta Rabinek is a teenager, she lives in Warsaw with her adopted parents Truda and Mateusz, they want to protect her from the war, the German army and the unrest in the city. They keep Elzbieta close to home, she’s a curious teenager and she starts secretly visiting her neighbors Sara's apartment. Sara’s a nurse and social worker and she works for the Department of Health and Sanitation. Sara visits the Warsaw ghetto, smuggling in much needed medical supplies and tries to help the plight of the starving Jewish children living behind the wall.

Roman Gorka is a Jewish teenager, he lives in the Warsaw ghetto with his mother Maya, stepfather Samuel, little brother Dawidek and his baby sister Eleonora. The Gorka family made the choice to stay in their apartment, the family didn’t want to be separated, and are now stuck behind the high wall. It’s extremely crowded in the ghetto, the conditions are deplorable, to survive you need to be useful and work. His mother had a baby six weeks ago, both his mother and baby sister Eleonora are not doing well and he’s worried about their health. When his mother contacts Sara, she desperately wants to get her baby out of the ghetto, Roman is angry and then he understands why. Roman and Elzbieta meet, develop feelings towards each other and it's dangerous for both of them. Slowly the ghetto starts to be emptied, as the time goes on the situation in the ghetto becomes dire, Roman constantly worries about his family being deported and he dreads returning home to find the apartment empty and the injustice of his situation makes him an extremely volatile young man.

The Warsaw Orphan is a story about two teenagers, growing up, living and trying to survive in a city consumed by war, hardship, suffering and injustice. Kelly Rimmer has written another epic historical novel about the power of human spirit, it makes you feel all kinds of emotions, it’s moving and it takes on a journey.
I received a copy of this book from Hachette Australia and NetGalley in exchange for an honest review, I couldn’t stop reading it and five big stars from me. https://karrenreadsbooks.blogspot.com/

[Brenda ~The Sisters~Book Witch · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan is inspired by the real-life heroine who smuggled thousands of Jewish children to safety.

Young Elzbieta stumbles upon her neighbour Sara’s resistance activities, smuggling children out of the Warsaw Ghetto in Poland and placing them in Catholic foster families. She wants to help, but she is young, inexperienced, and naive. She convinces Sarah to let her become involved in the activities. She meets a young Jewish boy, Roman, who lives in the Ghetto with his family and needs their help. I loved that the story centers around the young characters who brought a strong, courageous perspective from a younger point of view with their curiosity and creative minds

The pace is slow, with some hard-hitting dark scenes that crushed my heart, and I can’t stop thinking about it. At times the slower pace stalled the story for me and broke that tension and emotional pull I wanted to keep me turning the pages. A lot is going on here that felt a bit much for this exhausted reader, and I would have liked to have seen the story tightened up a bit. However, it’s an extraordinarily emotional story that explores the human spirit with these memorable characters, and I highly recommend it!

I received a copy from the publisher.

[Brenda · Rating 5 out of 5]

It was 1942 and Elzbieta Rabinek was fourteen, living outside the Ghetto walls in Warsaw and unaware of the horrors that those walls contained. Sara, a nurse who was working in the city, lived in the apartment above Elzbieta and her parents and when one night she heard a commotion coming from above, Elzbieta investigated. What she found and later heard from Sara, changed her thinking and set her on a dangerous and incredibly courageous journey.

Thousands of Jews with little food, clothing or comfort were trying to survive in the Jewish Ghetto and Roman Gorka and his family were among them. But when his baby sister needed assistance to survive, Roman was angry. The Germans were a cruel and harsh people – even the plight of a baby didn’t stir them to have compassion. But Roman’s anger and fury would see him put many people in danger, including Elzbieta, whom he grew to love. Would the war ever end? Would the Polish people know peace in Warsaw? And what would happen to Roman and his family – to Elzbieta and her family?

The Warsaw Orphan is another spectacular historical fiction novel from Aussie author Kelly Rimmer which I loved. Emotional, poignant, heartbreaking and hopeful – life was harsh in the war years with first the Germans, then the Soviets taking the independence from the Polish people. They suffered terribly – The Warsaw Orphan shows the reader all the emotions of the time – and with a filling of hope along the way. Highly recommended.

With thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my digital ARC to read in exchange for an honest review.

[Mandy White (mandylovestoread) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan absolutely broke me. What an amazing story of survival, of friendship and love. I was in floods of tears after reading the very first chapter and I knew that I was reading something very special indeed. It was the first of many scenes that had me crying.

It is a beautifully written, well researched story, inspired by true events from WW2 Poland. The writing had me feeling that I was there, I could see the struggles, I could feel the hunger and the despair of these characters. It made me feel lucky to be living today and not in these times of war. The things that these people had to endure, the unthinkable decisions that that had to make and losing those that they love so often and so brutally.

2 teenagers growing up in this time, having to understand the world and try to make sense of what was happening to them and their families. Seeing and hearing things that no child should ever have to go through. Elzbieta and Roman had their beliefs as different as they were. They both wanted more and they wanted to help those who could not help themselves.

The Warsaw Orphan will make you cry, It will make you think. It will make you appreciate your life. The strength of humanity and the power of family is amazing. This is in no way an easy book to read. It is one you need to savour, to take your time with and appreciate.

Kelly, I just loved it.

Thank you to Hachette Books Australia for my advanced copy of this book.

[Marialyce · Rating 5 out of 5]

Times that are trying can break your heart, but words can also do the same.

After all the books I read and all the times being taught about the Holocaust, I still can't get my arms around the utter cruelty and perversion that occurred due to the Nazis and those who like sheep willingly went along with their atrocities.

This story's setting is in Warsaw, Poland where a young girl, Elzbieta Rabinek, an orphan, has been taken in by a well to do family. She lives close to the infamous wall where Jewish people are being housed and constantly mistreated. Elzbieta learns quickly about the carnage that goes on not only behind the ghetto walls, but also in her city with roving bands of Nazi soldiers who beat and often murder Jewish people.

She becomes friends with a neighbor, Sara, who is a nurse and through this friendship becomes embroiled in acts that require bravery and courage beyond her young years.

Sara, under the guise of her job, is able to smuggle people from the ghetto and start them on their journey to freedom. Elzbieta wants to help, even though Sara is initially opposed knowing that not only Elzbieta would be in peril if caught, but also her family and the entire operation of smuggling people away from imminent death.

Elzbieta meets and eventually falls in love with Roman Gorka, a young man whose mother is forced to give up her daughter or watch her die. Roman is hot headed and quick to act, but his lack of caution puts everyone in danger. Even though he cares deeply for Elzbieta, his caution is put aside and he places Sara and everyone else in impending danger.

Will anyone survive this scourge under which they live and operate? Will Elzbieta and others be able to avoid the many disasters placed in their path when even after the war is over, Communist Russia takes over and one war for freedom becomes another?

Told with a beauty of words and things that will ping at your heartstrings, this book and author continue to amaze with her tragic war stories that restore my love of historical fiction.

Definitely recommend this book to those who have lost faith in historical fiction books.

[Marilyn (not getting notifications) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer was a gripping, heartfelt and touching historical fiction novel that portrayed the real and authentic heroic acts of several brave women who risked their lives on a daily basis to successfully smuggle Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto. I listened to the audiobook of The Warsaw Orphan. It was expertly and brilliantly read by Nancy Peterson and Charlie Thurston. Kelly Rimmer’s research for this book was extensive and thorough. The characters were complex and well developed. I became so familiar with and invested in the characters in this book that thoughts of them stayed with me long after I finished reading The Warsaw Ghetto. I had previously read The Things We Cannot Say by Kelly Rimmer which I enjoyed reading very much. The Warsaw Orphan, in my opinion, was equally as good if not better than The Things We Cannot Say. Kelly Rimmer has the distinctive ability to write novels that are both powerful and inspiring.

Elizbieta Rabinek was an almost fourteen year old Catholic girl in the spring of 1942. She had already witnessed more than any young girl of that age should have ever witnessed in her entire life. Her real name was Emilia but she could no longer be called by her real name nor divulge it to anyone. The Nazis had executed her sweet and caring father in front of her entire village at the beginning of the war and murdered her brother, Tomasz, right before her eyes. Tomasz had been helping Jews hide from the Nazis. Someone had exposed what Tomasz had been doing. The consequence for hiding Jews was execution for himself and his family. Tomasz was successful in getting his fiancé out of Poland before he turned himself in. Alina, Tomasz’s fiancé was also Emilia’s best friend and Truda’s (Emilia’s soon to be adoptive mother) younger sister. It was suspected that the Nazis were searching for Emilia as well. Emilia had been living in Trzebinia when all these horrors occurred. That was why when Emilia was adopted by Truda and Mateusz they changed her name to Elizbieta and they all moved from Trzebinia to Warsaw giving up the comfortable life they all led before the German occupation.

Elizbieta was wise beyond her years but burdened with emotions by all she had witnessed. She was feeling confused and resented how over protective her adopted parents were of her. Truda and Mateusz were only concerned for her safety. They had come to love her very much. Elizbieta found solace in her newly discovered friendship with one of her neighbors named Sara. Sara occupied the other apartment on the floor where Elizbieta’s apartment was. Often Elizbieta met Sara secretly on the roof in the evening. Although there was a big difference in their ages, Elizbieta enjoyed spending time with Sara. Sara treated her like a grown-up. She explained things to Elizbieta and shared books with her. Sara was a nurse and a social worker. Elizbieta’s adopted parents were not pleased when they learned that Elizbieta had been sneaking out to meet Sara behind their backs. Uncle Piotr, Mateusz’s brother, convinced Truda and Mateusz that Sara was trustworthy and very well respected. He assured Truda and Mateusz that there was no way Sara could be working with the Germans. After Mateusz and Truda were reassured of Sara’s integrity, Elizbieta was granted permission to continue her friendship with Sara.

As Sara’s and Elizbieta’s friendship grew and Sara earned the trust of Truda and Mateusz, Elizbieta started working in the Department of Social Welfare and Public Health with Sara. By the time Elizbieta had worked in the office for several months filing, answering the phone and doing anything that was asked of her, Sara’s coworker suggested that it was time for Elizbieta to accompany Sara into the Warsaw Ghetto and help her smuggle food and medicine into the ghetto and children out. Elizbieta was not at all prepared for the shocking realities she saw in the ghetto. Although initially Sara did not want Elizbieta to become part of this operation, Elizbieta became an integral part in their success of smuggling children out of the ghetto. Elizbieta’s first assignment was teaching young Jewish children Catholic prayers. One day, Elizbieta accompanied Sara to the Gorka resident. Samuel Gorka and his wife, two sons and sickly infant daughter lived in their overcrowded apartment with several other families. Roman Gorka was the oldest son and Dawidek was his younger brother. Roman’s mother had recently given birth to his little sister, Eleonora. Both his mother and sister were not doing well. There simply was not enough food to feed the family. Without good nourishment, Roman’s mother could not produce enough milk to feed Eleonora and keep her healthy. The baby was malnourished and fighting for her life. Roman’s parents had agreed to meet with Sara to try and get Eleonora and Dawidek out of the ghetto and into homes where they would be safe and well cared for. During that visit, Elizbieta had been watching the younger children while Sara was talking to Roman’s parents and explaining things to them when Roman came home. He misinterpreted what Elizbieta was doing in his home and ruthlessly tried to protect his siblings by using the only method he knew how to use. Roman physically and even violently attacked Elizbieta. Once Roman learned the truth about the nature of Sara’s and Elizbieta’s visit and what Elizbieta’s part had been, Roman felt deep regret and sorrow for what he had done. Over the next several months, Elizbieta and Roman forged a friendship, understanding of each other’s plights and something that grew into love. They would have to navigate their ways together through the Nazi occupation, the horrors of the ghetto, losing people they loved, the Warsaw Uprising and the Soviet occupation and the consequences that brought to the people of Poland.

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer was an emotional and intense story about life in general, resistance, survival, love, courage, surviving, family, friendship, hope and hardships. It was both heartbreaking and uplifting to have watched both Elizbieta’s and Roman’s characters grow, transcend and transform throughout the novel. The Warsaw Orphan explicitly portrayed a true and honest understanding of the people that lived through those horrific times in history and what they were forced to endure. This was one of the better books I have read about the effects of World War II, the Holocaust and the Soviet regime in Poland. I highly recommend this book.

[Gloria (Ms. G's Bookshelf) · Rating 5 out of 5]

⭐️4.5 Stars⭐️
An emotionally compelling World War II story

The Warsaw Orphan is Kelly Rimmer’s latest historical fiction release. It’s an inspiring story of courage, love and strength set in Poland 1942 in the Warsaw Ghetto under German occupation until the end of the war in 1945 and the subsequent Soviet occupation.

Kelly places the reader into the dark era of the Holocaust and holds you glued until the very last page.

Emilia (Elzbieta Rabinek )is our heroine whose courage shines through at a young age, she lives not far from the walls of the Ghetto living a comfortable existence at home with her parents. Elzbieta befriends Sara a nurse who shares the same apartment floor which lead to a discovery that throws her into a world of deception and bravery.

Roman Gorka is a teenager who lives in the horror of the ghetto in inhuman conditions. There’s crowding, starvation, sickness and death in the precinct. His newborn sister is dying and their mother’s malnutrition is also making her weak and limiting her supply of milk to feed the baby. Their family gets by on scraps of vegetable peels and the occasional piece of bread. Money and food are in short supply and Roman’s young brother Dawidek who is only nine has been recruited by the Kapo to collect corpses (hideous unpaid work).

The main theme of the story is the smuggling of Jewish children out of the ghetto and those who risked everything to help them escape.

Excellent pacing and scenes that will tear at your heart, stories like these must be read and remembered, it’s inspired by true events. I believe this story will appeal to many readers, I’d highly recommend.

Publication Date June 1st 2021

Thank you to NetGalley and Hachette Australia for an ARC to review.

[Sally Hepworth · Rating 5 out of 5]

After reading this one, Kelly Rimmer will be your new favourite author (or your old favourite, if you already loved her)

["Avonna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Check out all of my reviews at: https://www.avonnalovesgenres.com

THE WARSAW ORPHAN by Kelly Rimmer is an emotional historical fiction story featuring a young Polish girl and her family and friend’s struggles to survive set in occupied Warsaw during WWII.

Elizbieta Rabinek is living with her mother and father just outside the ghetto walls in Warsaw, Poland. She has a secret. Her mother and father have adopted her and are keeping her safe after the murder of her father and brother by the German’s for helping Jews. She befriends a nurse named Sara who lives in the apartment across the hall and discovers that Sara is doing more than just public health rounds in the ghetto.

Sara and fellow public health workers are smuggling children out of the ghetto and Elizbieta is determined to help. Sara is trying to help the Gorka family and this is when Elizbieta meets their son, Roman. Roman is at the youth center when his family is rounded up and sent on the train to the camp. All Roman feels is hate and he is set on the path of revenge.

From the German occupation through the Russian invasion Elizbieta and Roman fight to survive and reclaim the life they once knew.

This is a well written story of family, survival, hope and love in a time of atrocities, starvation and war. Elizabieta has such courage throughout this story to face what she sees and experiences during the several years covered in this book. All of the characters in this book are diverse, fully developed and believable. The author’s research is evident in the plot and storyline.

I recommend this historical fiction novel and the author.

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always enjoy Kelly Rimmer’s historical fiction and this story of the Polish uprising in Warsaw during WW2 and the German occupation is very well done. Told in dual perspectives from Elizabeta, a young girl who helps smuggle children out of the ghetto and arrange them to be transported to families who can safely hide them, and Roman, son of a Jewish mother and Catholic father, who is fighting with the resistance from within after his family is taken. Difficult to read in places obviously because of the wartime subject matter but very well told.

Trigger warnings: death, rape

[MicheleReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

It is March 1942. After the loss of her family, fourteen year old Emilia Slaska is living in Warsaw with a childless couple and has been renamed Elzbieta Rabinek. While life in Poland is hard for everyone under Nazi rule, Elzbieta knows that there is even greater suffering behind the walls of the nearby Warsaw Ghetto, which is filled with several hundred thousand Jewish families. Fearing for Elzbieta's safety, her new parents won’t let her leave their apartment. She secretly meets with her neighbor Sara who is a nurse and joins her during visits within the Warsaw Ghetto where she appears to be providing medical aid. But Sara’s true mission is to smuggle Jewish children out of the ghetto and relocate them to safety. While on one of her trips to the ghetto, Elizbieta meets Roman Gorka, who is trying to protect his family as the Nazis have started transporting thousands to concentration camps.

The Warsaw Orphan is a highly emotional, gripping story which takes the reader through the Warsaw Uprising, the aftermath of the war and the Soviet occupation. If you have read author Kelly Rimmer’s book The Things We Cannot Say, you will recognize Emilia. Elzbieta develops a strong bond with Roman who becomes an angry young man seeking revenge and is willing to risk everything. The characters in this book are so well-developed, you will feel for each of them. The realism of their experiences and depth of despair during such a horrendous period makes this a heartbreaking and unforgettable book. World War II-themed novels are never easy to read but help tell valuable stories of the strength of the human spirit and incredible heroism. In the Author’s Note at the end, we learn that this book was inspired by real-life Polish nurse and resistance activist, Irena Sendler, who smuggled Jewish children out of the Warsaw Ghetto to safety. I hope you check out this wonderful book. It's another impressive achievement for Rimmer who is an auto-read author for me.

Rated 4.5 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[DeAnn · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5 Warsaw Ghetto Stars

Set in Warsaw during WWII and featuring two storylines that intersect. Elzbieta is a young teenager living in Warsaw and barely tolerating the presence of the German soldiers who occupy the city. She makes friends with her neighbor Sara and eventually ends up working with her.

There is a large ghetto in Warsaw housing Jewish citizens, and we meet the Gorka family there. There are three children, a baby – Eleanora – who is not thriving due to the lack of nutritious food; Dawidek; and Roman, the eldest son. The parents are struggling to keep the family together and the father, Samuel, continues to hold out hope that the Germans will show some humanity despite the constant evacuations of families out of the ghetto.

Elzbieta’s work with Sara takes her into the ghetto and it was tense every time she went through the checkpoints. It was difficult to read about the terrible conditions within the ghetto and the acts of others that tried to save as many children as possible. Roman and Elzbieta have a tumultuous first meeting.

This book reminded me of the Warsaw Uprising in the summer of 1944 and the horrible loss of life and destruction of much of Warsaw afterwards. Roman is deeply involved in the Resistance efforts, and I couldn’t help but root for them, despite the overwhelming odds.

This story speaks to the resilience of the Polish people, who went from German occupation to the Soviets moving in. Roman wants to keep fighting until Poland is free, but when will that happen? I did like the way this one wrapped up, but I didn't want to say goodbye to these characters.

This is my fourth book from Kelly Rimmer and I want to read all her back titles!

Thank you to Harlequin/Graydon House and NetGalley for the copy of this one to read.

[Morgan · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book should have resonated with me but it didn’t.

The title “The Warsaw Orphan” would indicate one orphan which is not exactly accurate. There are many orphans in this book.
Turns out this is a follow up to a previous book in which Emilia appears. I presume Emilia is the orphan the title is referring to.

Main characters Emilia (13) and Roman (16) do not speak or act like teenagers.

I didn’t connect with this book or the people.

NOTE:
In 2017 I read “Irena’s Children” by Tilar J. Mazzeo which was an excellent book about an amazing true life hero.
Kelly Rimmer says she has based Emilia, Matylda and Sara on Irena and her team.
I didn’t get it and if the author had not mentioned this I would never have known.

I highly recommend reading “Irena’s Children” by Tilar J. Mazzeo.

[NILTON TEIXEIRA · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was my second book by this author. The first one I read and rated 3.5 stars was “The Things We Cannot Say”, which I praised her skills as a writer (the main problem with that book was that it was too romanticized for me).
With this one, she again impressed with her writing style and the ability to evoke raw emotions, although I think that it would be a lot better if all the characters did not sound too eloquent. Regardless, I was completely absorbed by the development of the storyline, which was, as expected, heartbreaking and overwhelming.
There were moments that I wasn’t sure if I could continue reading because I was emotionally involved.
I enjoyed the pace, but some readers may find it too slow.
I truly enjoyed this book.
A reviewer complained of bad grammar, but as I was so enthralled, I was oblivious to any mistakes. Perhaps that reviewer had an ARC, I’m not sure, or my edition had a better editor.

[Marianne · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan is the sixth novel by Australian author, Kelly Rimmer. The Warsaw Ghetto in 1942 is the scene of much desperation, despair and heartbreak. There are disturbing rumours about mass deportations to Treblinka, although sixteen-year-old Roman Gorka’s stepfather Samuel maintains an unlikely positivity about it all, wishfully believing the German propaganda about a clean work camp with better conditions and more food.

It takes a while, but eventually Roman accepts that the truth is radically different, and that reports of extermination might be more accurate than what they are being told by the Kapo and xx. Ultimately, it’s a large group of orphans being marched to a railway platform that moves him to convince his parents to let the social workers smuggle his younger brother, Dawidek and his baby sister Eleanora out of the Ghetto, to safety.

Emilia Slaska has been living under another name, Elzbieta Rabinek, and posing as the daughter of Truda and Mateusz, since her brother Tomasz was executed for assisting Jews. Mateusz’s brother, the ever resourceful Uncle Piotr has moved them out of their town, Trzebinia, into a Warsaw apartment, and manages to acquire plenty of hard-to-find luxuries for them.

Restricted to the apartment and its courtyard, Emilia’s boredom sees her making friends with their neighbour, Sara Wieczorek, a nurse and social worker with the city council’s Department of Health and Social Services.

On the eve of her fourteenth birthday, Emilia accidentally learns what Sara does behind the scenes, and promptly insists on becoming part of it: helping the Jews imprisoned in the Ghetto, and smuggling the children out to loving homes and better care, seems like the most worthwhile thing she can do with her life. Emilia learns just how challenging this work can be, but also discovers a level of personal courage of which she was unaware.

Their initial meeting is a lot less than ideal, but soon enough, Roman and Emilia are enjoying each others company. Two years on, Roman has narrowly escaped deportation and death, and is channelling his righteous anger against their occupying force into resistance activities, becoming a fervent participant in the Warsaw Uprising. As Roman dismisses injuries to return to the fight, they realise they are in love and Emilia is begging Roman care for his life, and heart, as if it were her own.

Eventually, Roman “learned how to suppress the instinct to throw myself unthinkingly into every battle. I had learned to pause and to ask myself, how can I be smart here? How can I guard my life as I would guard hers, just as I promised her I would?” And if Roman survives, and Emilia survives, will their ending be a happy one?

Rimmer easily conveys her setting, the horrific ordeal that Poles in their occupied land suffered, and the agonising decisions that had to be made on a daily basis. Her characters suffer great loss but manage to endure, to adapt, to rebuild. Rimmer knows how to tug on the heart-strings: this is a moving read.
This unbiased review is from an uncorrected proof copy provided by NetGalley and Hachette Australia.

[Brooke - Brooke's Reading Life · Rating 4 out of 5]

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**4.5 stars**

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer. (2021).

1942. Elzbieta is aware of the growing discord outside of her comfortable Warsaw home. But she has no idea what goes on behind the walls of the Jewish Ghetto nearby until she makes a discovery that propels her into a dangerous world of deception. She eventually meets the Gorka family who must give up their newborn daughter or watch her starve. For Roman Gorka this final injustice stirs in him a rebellion not even his newfound love for Elzbieta can suppress. His recklessness puts their families in harm's way until one violent act threatens to destroy their chance at freedom forever.

Every time I pick up a new release by this author I know it's going to be a fantastic read but also it'll probably hurt my heart at some point. This one is no exception! In this novel we are following Elzbieta and Roman both separately and when their lives intersect; Roman lives in the Jewish Ghetto in Warsaw, Elzbieta on the outside. Both perspectives were very absorbing and both will invoke strong emotions in readers. The author has written that this book is inspired by the real-life heroine who smuggled thousands of Jewish children to safety during WWII so as you can imagine, there are many powerful and heartbreaking scenes throughout the story.
Overall: this historical fiction makes for very compelling reading and I would not hesitate to recommend.

[Lynn H · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book grabbed me with the opening lines – “The human spirit is a miraculous thing. It is the strongest part of us – crushed under pressure, but rarely broken. Trapped within our weak and fallible bodies, but never contained.” That statement couldn’t be more true for the two main characters of this story. Afterall, they are living in Poland during World War II, one within the confines of the Warsaw Ghetto and one with a new identity using false papers right outside it. Neither willing to just let Poland itself or those that call Poland home die. It is truly both heart wrenching and heart warming all at the same time. I absolutely loved it.

Side note – I found out via the authors notes at the back that one of the main characters in this book was a character in her other book – “The Things We Cannot Say” (which has been on my TBR for awhile). “The Warsaw Orphan” is not a sequel, just a branched off storyline continuation. Guess I’ll be reading them out of order but it shouldn’t matter.

[Tannaz · Rating 5 out of 5]

خواندن کتاب در هشت ساعت چه معنی داشته باشد جز اینکه بی نظیر بوده است؟

[Julie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"I would endure torture and starvation and even death if it meant I could stay with my family. There was nothing more important to me in the world."

I keep reading books about WWII thinking that I could not possibly read one as good as the last, and I keep getting pleasantly surprised.

This book will stay with me for a very, very long time. Kelly Rimmer has a way of drawing you in, making you feel like you are there living the story with her characters. There were literally parts of this book that took my breath away, parts that had me ugly crying/sobbing, and parts that had me enraged. You definitely won't find a ton of joy in this book. So if that is what you seek, look elsewhere...But you will find a fictional story that "could" have been REAL, that portrays a horrific time in our history, a story that accurately depicts a time in history that we failed as humankind, and let an evil man almost succeed at taking over and ruling the world.

This story is about Elzbieta Rabinek and Roman Gorka; two people that come from different backgrounds but that have both seen pain. The book begins with an innocent Elzbieta and you watch that innocence ripped away and shredded to pieces. Roman's love for his family is fueled by revenge and passion to fight for Poland. Their two paths cross and the book follows their lives and love story through it all. Their bravery and the sacrifices they made to be two such young individuals was so incredible. Please beware that there are multiple trigger warnings with this book pertaining to trauma. But if you can persist and read it, I would recommend it a hundred times over, again and again.

"If you saw my mother's blood, it would have looked the same. Her blood is in my veins, and her blood is Jewish blood. To the Germans, this was enough for them to decide that I was worthless. But I know that if there are any good parts in me at all, they came from my mother. To deny her heritage is to deny my heritage, and I would rather die than to do that."

[Elizabeth of Silver's Reviews · Rating 4 out of 5]

A part of history I knew of, but I learned so much more.

Ms. Rimmel detailed the horrors of living in the Warsaw Ghetto with no food, no water, or the necessities of life.

Elzbieta and her family are well off if you can say that, and she begins working with Sara a nurse and social worker who lives upstairs. They also have been smuggling children out of the Ghetto.

Roman lives in the Warsaw Ghetto and is tired of what is going on but most tired of his family having to starve and dig through the trash for morsels of food so he begins to help with the cause.

We follow these characters throughout the war and after.

You will feel the terror, the anger, the desperation, and at times some hope that the characters are dealing with.

THE WARSAW ORPHAN is very heart wrenching but very well written, researched, and educational.

The political information became a bit much, but the story line still held my interest because I wanted to see how the lives of the characters turned out.

If you are a fan of historical fiction during this time period, you will be drawn in as well. 4/5

This book was given to me by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Tracey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an entertaining, well-written, WWII historical fiction novel which is inspired by true events. It depicts the horrors, heartbreak, violence, and deprivation of the Holocaust and life in the ghetto and in occupied Poland, but also the resilience, bravery, courage, hope and love of the survivors. I listened to the audio version of this novel, and the narrators, Nancy Peterson and Charlie Thurston, do an outstanding job depicting the characters and their personalities.

[Helen - Great Reads & Tea Leaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Grieving is what you do when those you love are lost to you. They have not been lost to me,” I said in disgust, weeping. “They have been taken from me. There is a difference.”

Kelly Rimmer has done it again! The Warsaw Orphan is another spectacular historical fiction novel. Emotional, heartbreaking yet somehow she leaves us with a sense of hopefulness. It portrays the harsh life for the people of Warsaw with first the Germans and then later the Soviets during the occupation of WWII.

‘When you have seen these things, things so horrific that you cannot become hardened to them, how can you just go back to existing again? Even if the war ended tomorrow, I feel like I would be broken for the rest of my life, and in ways that I can’t even understand, let alone explain.’

This is the story of two teenagers and their unique perspective on this well documented time period. It’s a tale of their growing up in extenuating circumstances of trying to survive in a city blanketed by hardship, suffering and incredible injustices under Nazi and then Soviet occupation.

‘To face the inhuman, one must become superhuman.’

From the outset to its finale, Kelly offers an amazing story of survival and friendship. It really is quite the tale. Well researched and beautifully written, having been inspired by true events in Poland during WWII. From the resistance within the Jewish Warsaw ghetto, to the Soviet occupied streets or running through the sewers, you are there witnessing the hunger and fear, the despair yet determination. Sitting in the comfort of one’s home, it will shake you to your core to read what these people endured and sacrificed.

‘Maybe I could force myself to return to the ghetto, but I would have to learn how to stop bringing the ghetto home with me or I’d never survive.’

The story of Elzbieta and Roman, and indeed many of the other characters gives you perspective on what kept them strong, how their beliefs and actions may not align, but always .... always .... how they loved and supported each other.

“I’m jealous of you. I miss believing that there is some purpose and some sense to life,” Sara sighed. “Maybe, tonight when you pray, you could send up a little prayer for me, too.”

The Warsaw Orphan is undoubtedly an emotional ride with its true power in how it will make you think and what it will make you feel. To be confronted with both the failings and strengths of humanity yet through it all, the power of ‘family’ to hold true through the worst imaginable circumstances. Whilst not an easy book to read at times, it most definitely is a must read as it has a powerful story to tell - a tale that you will reflect upon long after the final page is turned.

‘At the end of the day, that was my worst nightmare—not the trials of the ghetto. I would endure torture and starvation and even death if it meant I could stay with my family. There was nothing more important to me in the world.’








This review is based on a complimentary copy from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. The quoted material may have changed in the final release.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Warsaw Orphan by Kelly Rimmer is an historical fiction that presents a look at Warsaw, Poland, under Nazi occupation during World War II from the perspective of local inhabitants including Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto. Young Elzbieta Rabinek is one of those locals who 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. She begins using Sara's credentials to help smuggle Jewish children out of the ghetto which 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 through the end of the war and on to life under 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.

[Josephine Moon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Just finished my early reader copy of the talented Kelly Rimmer’s upcoming novel ‘The Warsaw Orphan’. This story, set in the harrowing time of the holocaust, is beautifully written, meticulously researched, and impossible to put down. A tale of cruelty, uprising, greed, courage and sacrifice — highlighting the best and the worst humanity has to offer. I highly recommend you grab a copy after its release in late April.

[Taury · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wonderfully heart wrenching written story of Poland during WW2. Survivors snd hero’s. Victims and death. Triumphs victories and death. New life beyond the horizon and decisions that seem impossible to make.

[Loren · Rating 4 out of 5]

Kelly Rimmer is one of my favorite WW2 Historical Fiction authors. This book covered the Nazi and Russian occupation of Poland. Rimmer weaved the historical events around Emilia, a righteous gentile who helped smuggle orphans and babies out of the Jewish Ghetto. Rimmer's characters and their lives make the horrific facts of the Holocaust just palatable enough to read.

Even so, I often begin to wonder if my insatiable quest to learn something new about the Nazi occupation in Europe is flooding my brain and replacing facts with fiction. This certainly is not the authors intent, in fact she speaks to in in her closing notes:

"I do not believe it is the role of historical fiction to educate us about history. We novelists inevitably get things wrong, and sometimes we take liberties to massage our stories into place. I do, however, believe that great historical fiction should pique our curiosity and inspire us to educate ourselves. To that end, wherever it was possible in this book, I have tried to write a story that could have happened—and it is my hope that if you were not familiar with some of the events that take place in this book, you might spend time learning more about them. Those who were lost and those who survived deserve to be honored and remembered for their own sake, but also so that the horror they endured is never repeated."

Thank you Kelly, so well said . . . . I will continue to read these books AND I will learn more about the facts that are presented. 4 stars!

[Cititor Necunoscut · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kelly Rimmer a ajuns foarte repede una dintre scriitoarele mele preferate, desi am descoperit-o foarte recent. Desi nu stiam cand am ales-o, aceasta carte are legatura cu The Things We Cannot Say/Cuvinte nerostite, caci Emilia este personaj secundar in prima si personajul principal din aceasta. Insa se pot citi si separat, fara a pierde ceva din poveste.