The Warsaw Orphan

The Warsaw Orphan was a difficult book for  me to read because the descriptions of the horrors of the Holocaust jumped off the page and into my gut. This is the story of Elzbieta, an orphan herself, who is adopted by a couple in Warsaw. Because of her past, she's changed her name and lives more or less in hiding. She defies her adopted parents' orders and befriends Sara, a nurse, living in the apartment next door.  Through Sara, Elzbieta learns a little bit more about what is going on behind the wall that separates the middle class neighborhood where Elzbieta lives from the Warsaw Ghetto.

Roman is the other main character. He is the son of a Jewish mother and a Catholic father who was being raised as a Catholic. His father has died and when his mother and stepfather are moved into the ghetto, Roman moves with them. Keeping the family together is the most important thing for Roman.

Both Elzbieta and Roman had already seen more horrors than any person should ever see when their worlds collide. After a rough start, they forge a friendship and they give each other strength through the Ghetto uprising, the Warsaw uprising and then the Soviet occupation.

Rimmer did extensive  research for this novel which is, in part, based on the story of Irena Sendler. I knew a little bit about Irena Sendler, but did not make the connection until I finished reading The Warsaw Orphan. 

Besides vivid descriptions, the character development of both the major and minor characters in The Warsaw Orphan was exceptional. There's hardship and survival, but there's also hope.

I thought I'd read The Things We Cannot Say, an historical fiction novel by Kelly Rimmer that had gotten much buzz when it came out  a few years ago. Now that I've finished reading The Warsaw Orphan, her follow-up novel, I can say with certainty that I hadn't read the first  book. That's neither here nor there, although I do think I'll try to read The Things We Cannot Say at a later date.