Beautiful book that speaks from the heart of children during WW2. This story comes from three different perspectives and showcases the heartbreak and struggles of friendship during the Nazi regime.

It’s not sugar coated in any sense. We see the harsh realities of each perspective; Leo, Elsa and Max and how a religion governed their world.

It’s a book that will stay with you for a long time and is perfect to share with students on the realities of WW2.

Leo, Elsa & Max are growing up in Vienna in 1936. They do everything together and 'know' they will be friends forever. However they have no idea how their lives are going to be ripped apart by the changes coming to Europe. They are set on completely different pathways are Hitler tightens his grip on Europe and they are defined by their heritage and background.
We are taken on a heartbreaking journey across Europe as the war casts a growing shadow over everything, & everyone. Can the three young people retain the bonds of friendship and emerge with any kind of hope at the end of this awful journey? .

This is a book that will be useful for older KS3 and Ks4 students, especially those who have encountered some knowledge of the Second World War and the Holocaust. The subject matter can be nothing other than horrific, despite its careful and sensitive retelling of some of the most inhumane acts from that dark period of the Twentieth Century. The warnings at the beginning of the book concerning the dark themes that feature in the unfolding horrors that affect all of the families of the three central characters should not be ignored. However, there are no episodes of violence or cruelty that are not justified by the need to convey at least an approximation of the scale and horrors of the Holocaust. Some background is likely to be necessary to gain the most from Ms Kessler’s carefully structured storytelling, whether it’s the language likely to be encountered, some appreciation of the events taking place outside the borders of Germany or the events of Kristalnacht and similar organised brutality that characterised the brutality of the Nazi regime.

Without a doubt, one of the best books I have read this year.

The book is about three friends, following their stories from before WWII until the present day. The friends end up taking very different paths, often not through choice but never forget the friendship they shared as young children. The characters and their stories will stay with me for a very long time.

I read this book in one sitting and then immediately went back to re-read bits. Sometimes you look forward to a book so much you build it up and almost set yourself up for a disappointment but not this one. It is beautifully written, desperately sad and shocking, both because of events described during the war but also because of the way that the final chapter relates it back to the present day.
Just go and read it.

Vienna, 1936: young friends Leo, Elsa and Max, best friends since the first day of “big school”, are celebrating Max’s ninth birthday. They can’t imagine life or their friendship ever changing, but of course it will, and the first sign comes when Max’s father doesn’t want him to be friends with Leo and Elsa any more. It’s impossible to understand why: what does the fact that they’re Jewish have to do with anything? Soon, though, things become much much worse.

We follow each of the three children in turn as their lives take very different paths. It’s far from an easy read- Liz Kessler doesn’t shy away from harsh realities and especially towards the end, it becomes very emotionally hard going, though impossible to stop reading.

There are certainly parallels in Max’s story with The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas, though Kessler’s novel is much wider ranging, showing us the perspectives of the three children who experience the Holocaust in very different ways. An introductory note from the author tells us the true story behind one of the plot strands, a story from her own family history, which is fascinating to read.

When the World Was Ours is a shattering, heartbreaking and timely read, which I’m sure will stay in my mind for a long time.

A heartbreaking and poignant book that stays with you after you have finished reading it.

Three friends growing up in Vienna just before the outbreak of World War 2, two are Jewish and the other Austrian.

When Hitler takes power their lives change forever and their friendship is tested, one move to England, other move to Munich , Prague and Poland.

Will their friendship survive?

I liked that Liz Kessler told as story that was inspired by a true story and looked at how children where effected by parents and people in authority under the Nazi regime.

A stunning and heart-breaking novel about how hate divides human beings. While the author uses the Holocaust as the setting, the story reminds one strongly of events going on in the world today where right-wing extremists seem to be modelling themselves on Hitler's dubious legacy. Liz Kessler tackles a very, very difficult theme with compassion and honesty -- I particularly liked the ending, set in the presnt day, and how it talks of the guilt of survivors. This book reminded me of Sally Gardner's Maggot Moon, and it also got everything right that The Boy in the Striped Pyjamas didn't.

(Review copy from NetGalley)

The book was boring in quite a few places, and I wasn’t sure if I would continue.

I’d give it a 3 star rating, but it feels to high. So 2.5 feels better.

This was incredibly moving, I haven't found myself haunted by a book like this in a while. The premise alone was interesting enough that I wanted to read it, but within the first few chapters, I knew this would be one of those stories that would stick with me. To see the horrors of history told through a child's perspective is heartbreaking. The three distinct storylines that take place during this novel showcase three very different outcomes for these three friends. Their development and character arcs are well written, despite only knowing them for a short period of time I found myself connected with them. There's a childlike aura of the unknown that sits over this entire book and makes it even more devastating. Seeing the theme of friendship come up again and again and how far you will go for those you love was perhaps my favourite aspect. Overall, it was well written and poignant, a novel that feels relevant and timeless.