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When the World Was Ours  By  cover art

When the World Was Ours

By: Liz Kessler
Narrated by: Tom Lawrence, Willow Nash
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Publisher's summary

One moment can change a life forever.

A powerful and heart-breaking novel about three childhood friends living during the Second World War whose fates are closely intertwined, even when their lives take very different courses. Inspired by a true story, this is the perfect story for fans of The Book Thief and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl.

Vienna, 1936.

Elsa, Leo and Max have always been best friends, a special team of three. Then the Nazis come.

As a growing darkness descends around them, Leo and Elsa run for their lives, taking two very different paths across Europe. And Max, once their closest friend, now becomes the enemy as he is drawn into the Hitler Youth. Will the friends ever find their way back to each other? Will they want to?

Inspired by a true story, When the World Was Ours is an extraordinary novel that is as powerful as it is heartbreaking, and shows how the bonds of love, family and friendship allow glimmers of hope to flourish, even in the most hopeless of times.

Three friends. Two sides. One memory.

©2021 Liz Kessler (P)2021 Simon & Schuster UK

Critic reviews

"When The World Was Ours is Liz's masterpiece...an instant classic." (Anthony McGowan, winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal)

"An exceptional read." (The Sunday Times)

"Vital glimmers of hope enlighten this profoundly poignant book." (Guardian)

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What listeners say about When the World Was Ours

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Excellent

My 12 year old son read the book and loved it. He would read every moment possible. He kept telling me about the story and how good it was. It captured him. I knew I wanted to read it. We had a long road trip for the Thanksgiving and decided to download the book. What a great story. WWII & the Holocaust have always intrigued me. To hear the story about these 3 young friends just makes you wonder more about the paths that so many others had to go through. How many friends became enemies or were made to turn against one another.
The language is appropriate, & I did not have to worry about what was being read.
I highly recommend this book.

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You won't want to stop listening.

An excellent story, flawlessly performed. I couldn't stop listening! You'll feel like you are there.

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