CW: War crimes on page

Well that was quite moving actually.

Through the eyes of three children we see the devastation that was brought about by the Nazi regime. Initially the story is told with all the joy and innocence of childhood, but slowly the voices change to ones of suspicion, confusion, and fear. A brilliant example of how the cruel ideals of a few, can change the way we feel about the people we once called our friends. A great addition to my booktalk shelves. ( )

*Spoiler alert*

This unflinching Holocaust book follows three best friends from Vienna, Austria, in 1936 through the end of the war in 1945. Leo and Elsa are Jewish, while Max is not; in fact, Max's father becomes an SS officer, and Max follows in his footsteps when the family moves to Munich and he joins the Hitler Youth. Elsa's family moves to Prague, but ends up in Theresienstadt and later Auschwitz; Leo's father is taken away, but he and his mother get visas to England, sponsored by a couple they encountered by chance years ago. The war years hold different horrors for each child - violence, family separation, death - ultimately leaving only one to grow up to tell their story.

See also: Refugee by Alan Gratz, Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Quotes

We had no words for what was happening to us. (Leo, 71)

"What do you want to be when we grow up?"
"Alive?" (Greta and Elsa in Prague, 191)

I find myself noticing how easy it is for something absurd to become almost natural. How rapidly something unthinkable can become commonplace. How easily we let the inconceivable become a new normal. (Elsa, 215)

The cars move so slowly, grinding along the tracks through a world that has abandoned us. (Elsa, 264)

I don't feel like a lucky one. I feel like someone who has had everything they have ever known or loved taken away and been told they have to keep on living. (Elsa, 275) ( )

When the World was Ours is a 2022 Lone Star selection. You'll need kleenexes.

The novel begin in Vienna in 1936 where Leo, Elsa, and Max are best friends. The ride a Ferris Wheel and feel on top of the world. Their smiles convey their carefree joy. Accidentally, Leo bumps into an English couple to whom he quickly apologizes. Leo's father invites them home and they have a lovely evening. Shortly after this perfect day, Elsa's family decide that Vienna is dangerous for Jews and move to Prague. Meanwhile, Max's father demands more and more of Max to be a man as he rises in power at his job, asking Max to find new friends. Leo's Jewish family decide to wait things out. As the two years pass, Elsa worries about Leo as she learns about the way Jews are treated in Vienna. Leo's father faces cruel abuse by the Nazi, one of whom is Max's father. Max, smaller than most, finds the desire to please his father and fit in more important to his self esteem than supporting Leo. He loves the Hitler Youth where he excels. He's never been praised or respected by his father or been a leader. He now finds leadership potential and the ability to fit in within the regimented system.

Eventually, the reality of war affects every character. The treatment of the Jews extends to Prague and Elsa discovers the cruelty that man can show to man as the war slowly drains her. Max succumbs to power and propaganda, while Leo finds refuge.

Many students love Alan Gratz's novels, especially Refugee, but I think this novel really puts the reader right in the heart of World War II from the point of view of the teenage jew and the Hitler Youth, explaining the pull of power and group thinking. Hate spreads easily; the novel displays the results of such a hate. Kindness is also shown with the British couple met so many years ago at the ferris wheel. The image that pulls the story together despite location differences and different ideologies is that of the three kids smiling with joy and innocence on a ferris wheel. Ultimately, the lesson is to speak up and defend people from human abuse. Recognize the pull of power over humanity and chose mankind over self. The end of the novel will have you crying, so have tissues nearby. ( )

This is a powerful book about three young children and the ways that the Holocaust totally changed their lives.
It's based on the true story of the author's father's escape from Europe in 1939. The children are nine when the story begins and don't really understand what's going on in Vienna - they feel that they own the world as they know it.

Leo, Max and Elsa are best friends and are sure that their friendship will last forever. But Austria is in the midst of change after the Nazis take over the country and their friendship is sorely tested. Leo is Jewish and lives with his parents in a nice part of town. The family is very close to each other and as Leo starts seeing the results in the streets of the Germany hatred of the Jewish people, he becomes fearful, When his father is arrested, he and his mother try to find a way out of the country to safety. Their struggle to get out is unbelievable and difficult. Elsa is also Jewish and her family moves to Prague early in war because they feel that they will be safer there. But when the Germans invade, their lives become hell as they are moved into the ghetto. Leo is completely different - not only is he not Jewish but his father is a high ranking member of the Gestpo. Leo has always tried to get acceptance from his father and follows his example by changing his beliefs and learning to believe as his father does. Even though all three of the friends frequently think about each other, their lives have gone in totally different directions as they realize that the world is no longer theirs and that friendship will not endure forever.

This is a heartbreaking story seeing the innocence and friendship of the children is totally destroyed by the terrible happenings in their country. They went from being young and idealistic to being older than their years by what they experienced. This is a story of love and friendship, hate and war and the effects that it has on children. The three main characters were very well written and memorable. This novel is classified as YA but it would be meaningful to anyone to read the story of loss of innocence during a horrific time in our world history. ( )

I am gutted! I have just finished "When The World Was Ours" and now I am emotionally drained and mentally exhausted. I have read a number of YA novels set during the holocaust and this is definitely the best by far. It is one of those rare finds that will stay with me for a long, long time. I started this book with a sense of foreboding which continued to grow the more I read and I guessed how it would end. I kept hoping I would be wrong . . . I wasn't!

"When The World Was Ours" is a must read for everyone to ensure history is never repeated. A powerful read. ( )