The Warsaw Orphan

Trigger warnings: rape, war, Holocaust, murder, starvation, loss of a family member, unwanted pregnancy

Emilia is an orphaned Jew living undercover in Poland during World War II.

Emilia Slaska's parents and brother were killed and she is living with the Rabinek family in Warsaw under the false identity of Elzbieta Rabinek. Only her adoptive parents Truda and Mateusz know about her real identity and that Emilia is Jewish. When Elzbieta is recruited by her neighbor friend Sara to go into the Jewish ghetto to help the children, she is shocked and appalled at what she sees.

Roman Gorka is living in the Jewish ghetto with his family even though his deceased father is Catholic and he adheres to the religion. They live with several other families in the apartment that once housed only Roman's family. Roman's mother has just given birth to a baby they must keep secret, but the baby is malnourished and may not live much longer.

Elzbieta meets Roman when she and Sara come to offer the family some help by taking the baby and placing her with a non-Jewish family that just lost an infant. Roman is enraged and scared about his family separating, but when he witnesses children in the orphanage being marched off to concentration camps he persuades his parents to let the baby go.

Roman has the heart of a soldier and tries to fight for his Jewish brothers and sisters, then for all of Poland's independence. Emilia sees the danger in tying herself to him even as she falls in love with him.

This novel depicts the harsh realities of the Holocaust and is not for readers who are disturbed by starvation, rape, and mass murder. Recommended for those who read stories like this so they will never forget the atrocities committed during World War II.

Kelly Rimmer is a bestselling author who writes historical and contemporary fiction. She lives in Australia.

Publisher: Graydon House (print); Harlequin Audio

Narrators: Nancy Peterson & Charlie Thurston

Running Time: 13 hours, 6 minutes

Length: 416 pages

Release Date: April 28, 2021

I received an electronic galley copy of this title from the publisher through Netgalley in exchange for an honest review.