Enjoyed it and would give the book 3.5 stars. The book focused on Jewish children who survived the concentration camps and are now displaced. Some don't know their name or if they even have surviving parents. Loved Alice. She had the patience of a saint. Some of the children were a little more difficult to deal with than others. She always put their needs before hers. Tasha on the other hand was so hard to like. She had a horrible childhood and suffered immense loss at such a young age. While at Windermere and even Weir Courtney, Tasha threw more tantrums than the younger kids. She constantly pushed Georg and Alice away and was at times downright mean. Tasha didn't want to enjoy life until she was reunited with her mom. Absolutely loved Joyce from Beautiful You. She was the sweetest person and gave Tasha a chance. The book left me wondering how many children never found a family member or even knew their real name.

Definitely recommend the book. Enjoyed the story, writing style and characters. I liked how the book alternated between Tasha, Lydia and Alice. Look forward to reading more books by the author. Loved the cover of the book.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from Bookouture through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

I have read lots of books set during WWII and what sets this one apart is that it tells a story of a mother and daughter who are separated at the end of the war, as they are released from Auschwitz.

Sixteen year old Tasha and her friend , Georg, are taken to The Lake District with a group of other children. Tasha is so desperate to find her mum, Lydia, that she can’t settle, despite the beautiful setting and the caring people who take them in. Tasha’s anger alienates her from everyone who cares from her as she pushes everyone away.

The focus of this book on the impact of the war on these innocent children was really well written, heartbreaking and heartwarming all at once, as they try to rebuild their lives, find their families and most of all, find hope in a lonely world.

There were a few slow parts to the book, but the most emotional ending was totally worth the wait.

4 ⭐️ Thanks to Netgalley, Anna Stuart and Bookouture, for an ARC in return for an honest review.

Thanks to the Publisher and Netgalley for an early review copy.

This was such an emotional, Unputdownable read.

In Auschwitz Tasha and her mother are parted and sent in different directions. Tasha has no idea where her mother is being sent to.

She starts her search to find her mother’s the only memory she has of her is her hair. But, the sesrch isn’t easy.

Along the way she meets Georg and Alice, who is also looking for her brother.

I highly recommend this book.

I love Anna Stuart and her take on historical fiction. This is the second book of hers I’ve read (Midwife of Auschwitz being the first) and she has quickly become one of my favorite authors.
I don’t feel that the other books in the series need to be read first (I haven’t yet read the second). However, I would suggest it just for the bonus of knowing exactly where the characters came from and what they faced.
I enjoyed the different perspectives between Alice, Tasha, and Lydia. At one point, I wasn’t sure I enjoyed following 3 different POVs, but by the end, it worked out well. I would have loved a Georg POV (simply because I loved his character).
Overall, I enjoyed seeing the bits of history after the war, how families worked toward reunification, and a glimpse inside the world of those who escaped the concentration camps. I also enjoyed the small bits of romance and the ending was a great way to wrap up everything. I’m smiling now just thinking about it. I loved all the characters and especially Tasha’s determination to find her mother.
I am honored to have received an ARC of this book and would highly recommend this book (or the whole series) to anyone! I look forward to reading more of Anna’s work.

Omg this book made me cry. It is about survival , resilience , hope and survivor guilt. It was heartbreaking , but with glimmer of hope. It Will.make you think, it Will make you cry and it Will make you.angry. I highly recommend this book
Thank you to netgalley for letting me read this e arc in exchange for an honest opinion

The year is 1945 and Tascha, along with an ever growing population of other children is left alone, in unfamiliar territory. After the concentration camps were liberated, many survivors of the Holocaust desperately tried to find the family they had been separated from and Tascha is no different.

We are taken on this journey of hope, frustration, loss, and confusion along with Tascha as she learns to live again.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book, it offers a unique perspective of the impact of war on children who still have a lot of life left to live. As someone who studied education, psychology, social work and worked in the child welfare world, I found this book to be very informative.

I feel like much of what I want to say would give away too much, I cannot recommend this book enough. This is not a fast read, bring tissues, read the author's note.

Thank you to Netgalley, Bookoutune, and Anna Stuart for the ARC in exchange for a review.

Review
The War Orphan by Anna Stuart follows two main characters; Alice, who escapes to England before the Jewish round ups in Germany to help look after misplaced children of the war and Tasha, who gets separated from her mother as the Nazis begin the abandonment of Auschwitz. The story shows how each character is affected by the War and its aftermath and end up connected as they try to continue with their lives as peacetime emerges and find their displaced families.

Anna Stuart has created a force of nature with the character of Tasha, a feisty, strong willed, stubborn girl who will stop at nothing to find her mother. Meanwhile, the soft, gentle nature of Alice as the caregiver is a perfect balance to Tasha's fire.

This book goes into the after-effects of the War on these lewish children and the adults helping them with insights into the Windermere Project which housed some of the orphaned Jewish children and the psychoanalysis by leaders in their field to further the studies of such effects. This academic edge to the story was very interesting, although often it was referred to in a negative uncaring manner, I feel this was to highlight that the care and love of a stable 'family' environment was what a lot of the children needed.

The story had me in tears at countless points and can be heart-breaking whilst also showing the strength of hope. Beautifully written with strong opposing characters and an insightful, meaningful story on a topic that needs to be remembered.

Thank you Netgalley & Bookouture for this advanced copy.

The War Orphan by Anna Stuart
(E-ARC)
Rating- 5 Stars

To start off, I would like to say a huge thank you to Bookouture, NetGalley and Anna Stuart for letting me have an early copy of this book. Thank you for letting me give my honest review of this book.

This book heavily focuses on trauma/experiences that children faced during the concentration camps in WW2. This book also has children talking about their experiences openly which is quite harrowing and heart-breaking. Grief and loss is also mentioned a lot in this book too. If any of these things upset you or make you uncomfortable, this book is not for you.

Tasha was torn away from her mother’s arms by a SS guard days before Auschwitz gates were opened. Tasha is desperate to be reunited with her mother and yearns to find her. But in the chaotic aftermath of a war it is not as easy to find her as Tasha thought it would be. Will Tasha find her mother? Or will Tasha never find her mother again?

I absolutely adored this book. For someone who has studied children’s psychology and children’s theorists for children’s development and wellbeing, this book was super informative and useful and allowed me to see it in a different context. From the moment the children went to Windermere or what the children referred to as ‘Wondemere’ it was really eye opening to see the effects and the long lasting traumas the concentration camps had on the children. It was nice to see a book mainly focused on the children and how they dealt and began to cope with the trauma. Although it was painful to see the children going through painful and traumatic flashbacks and reliving the horrors they had been exposed to, it really showed you the havoc of trauma/adverse childhood experiences and how this can greatly impact on children’s minds. The scene where the children drew what they had experienced and even the scene where the children thought what the Nazis were doing was normal. It broke my heart but it shows that children were conditioned to believe that this was normal behaviour because this is what they have experienced.

With that being said, the bonds that Alice made with the children was the whole highlight of the book. She cared so much about the children and would do anything for them. One quote in particular stood out to me where she talked about not getting too attached to the children as they were not her children but could not stop herself. Alice resonated so much with me as someone who has worked with children from birth to sixteen years old, the bonds you make with children are so precious and you can not help but get attached to the children. I also totally feel so sorry for Alice when she had to say goodbye to some of the children. The bond between her and Tasha was so precious. A beautiful and heart-warming bond that Tasha definitely needed as she continued to search for her mother.

I was not ready for Chapter 19 at all. The chapter destroyed me emotionally and I had to take a minute to breathe. I was NOT ready for it to happen and did not see it. The fact that it was loosely based on a true story(happened a lot later than the date in the novel) broke my heart even more reading the historical notes at the end. The conversation that follows after this particular event really showed once again the trauma and the beliefs that the children had after the concentration camps. Please be aware that children talked openly about the traumas and the experiences they faced later in the book. Please be mindful of this when you are reading. This was such a hard chapter and the tears were crazy. Considering I was only 47% in, I knew this book was amazing.

I also have to applaud the author for her emotional scenes. Throughout this novel, I was a mess throughout and had to constantly put down my book due to the tears. The author really made you go through all the emotions all at once. Furthermore, the author also made this as historically accurate as she could, which is another thing I love to see. At the end of this novel, she included historical notes which were full of information that was not included in the novel and ways you could research more. The level of detail was fabulous. It has made me really want to research and learn more about what they did for the Holocaust.

I did not know that this was part of a series and read this as a standalone book but did not feel that it impacted me that I had not read the other books in the series. I am so glad that I have now found another historical fiction author that I like and I can not wait to go back and read the other two books before this one.

The War Orphan by Anna Stuart is a powerful historical novel that I just couldn’t put down. It is grounded in fact and the third book in the Women Of War series but can be read as a stand-alone.
The action is set from January 1945 in Auschwitz. The war is in its dying embers but still the Nazis were incredibly cruel as they separated mothers from their children for the death marches. The mother/daughter bond was strong. “Wherever you are, I’ll find you.” After the war ended, both searched relentlessly for the other.
There was so much loss. The war tore families apart – some members managing to flee Nazi Germany, others were not so lucky. Until told differently, everyone kept hope alive.
We follow the war orphans from Poland to Windermere and to Surrey. Here, new family units formed as they only had each other. We see that dreams of employment bloomed as there was the chance for new beginnings.
We must never forget where we come from. “It was also vital that they kept hold of a sense of their heritage.” We need to know our roots. We want to pass on our family history and learn to “live for those left behind.”
All the small children had ever known was shocking cruelty. Their childhood games were both heartbreaking and horrifying as they acted out what they had seen. Their fear of the Nazis reign of terror remained, even in England. Anna Stuart writes with care and compassion. We cannot fail to be moved.
In Auschwitz the children felt abandoned – even by God. “A God she was pretty sure had long since deserted them.” But God walked beside His children, even in the hellish pits.
Growing up with so much cruelty meant the children had a different set of values. They had to learn how to be nice. “We have to teach ourselves to be good people because that is how we really win.” We cannot let fear and darkness win.
I thoroughly enjoyed The War Orphan. It was such a powerful read. It will stir emotions in you and will not leave you unchanged. This book must be read in order to keep the memory of the six million innocents alive.
I received a free copy from the publishers. A favourable review was not required. All opinions are my own.

The War Orphan by Anna Stuart is set in Auschwitz just as it is being liberated and tells the story of Tasha and her mother Lydia’s separation due to one final cruel act by the Nazi’s. Lydia is sent away in the death marches while Tasha and the other children are locked in Auschwitz and so begins this beautifully told story of how Tasha and Lydia quest to be reunited. The characters are developed in a way that you yearn for their meeting. The author flips between Tasha and Lydia’s stories so that you can see two very different realities following the end of WW2.
It is a heartbreaking story that shines light on the events and stories of the post war challenges. This is a departure for me from a regular WW2 historical fiction that is usually centered on the events during the war. I look forward to reading more from Anna Stuart including the other two books in this series, Women of War. Although, part of a series it was not reliant on having read the previous two books. Her storytelling is compelling and enjoyable even with the subject matter being so difficult.
Thank you Net Galley, Anna Stuart, and Bookouture for the opportunity to enjoy this book prior to its release. The War Orphan is expected to be released March 7, 2024.
#NetGalley #TheWarOrphan #AnnaStuart #Bookouture

What a profound novel first set in 1945 at Auschwitz. And then the liberation. Suddenly we are thrust upon a winding and unpredictable path with the surviving victims.

This latest by Anna Stuart left me speechless and moved to tears. The searing reality of what these people experienced, pierced my heart. It physically hurt to read some passages because of Anna’s ability to express the injustice done to the Jews. I appreciate how well she handled such a difficult topic with great sensitivity and respect. For she has given us a chance to relate to those who suffered untold pain, persecution and loss. Things we can only imagine on our worst days.

The War Orphan is based on many real people, as expressed in the author’s historical notes at the back, and it is obvious Anna has embraced and utilised the research in such a way that it comes across in fictional form so powerful you feel you have been sewn into the fabric of these people’s hearts. The suffering of the Jews is undeniable and clearly highlighted. I was taken on a journey filled with such deep sadness and grief you wonder how anyone could move forward. But just as in life, there are moments of joy and normalcy—even amid the pain and chaos. Little gifts of remembrance, too, such as what Natasha carries—a lock of her mother’s hair—to give her courage and hope that they might be reunited one day.

I love that Alice Goldberger is brought into the light—showing us the wonderful things she did for the orphans. She suffered her own loss and often battled guilt for escaping Germany when others did not—especially her family. This would have been the anguish of many, I am sure. But Alice, as seen in this novel and history, kept moving forward, always trying to make a difference. She knew these orphans desperately needed to feel safe and loved: to know they had a home, a chance to feel part of a family—to celebrate the milestones, birthdays, holidays—to feel normal. She wanted them to experience the closeness of a community that shared and cared for each other. Alice fostered all the best things of humanity. Her charity and compassion shines in this novel, as I am sure it did in real life. She became like a mother to many: well-loved by all those under her supervision.

This’s story’s particular focus is on the orphaned who were sent to England after they were freed in 1945. We gain incredible insight on the Jewish children: how they coped, their understandable erratic behaviour. So many lost their parents through the gas chambers or other Nazi brutality. This would have left the mark of despair on their psyche. It would have been a monumental task to try and find out who survived and did not. Their hope dashed over and over. Because in truth, there would be many who could not find their mothers, fathers and siblings after the war. This novel made me look at it from various angles and viewpoints. Those who tried to help these children like Alice and those on the receiving end like Tasha who agonised and fought the possible scenarios. She often acted out her grief so it would have been challenging to comfort her. Alice, though, never gave up and her patience and fortitude became an example. Under normal circumstance, Tasha’s responses would have made her unlikable but somehow it is easy to forgive her harsh actions and reactions because we know the trauma she has experienced. And like Alice, we want to wrap our arms around her and love her to wholeness—even though we know her life is fractured and that large pieces of her heart may never mend.

I could certainly feel the anguish these children experienced through their separation and loss. There are countless scenes emblazoned on my memory forever. The Prologue particularly where Natasha and her mother Lydia are cruelly treated and then separated at Auschwitz.

Then in chapter one we are thrust forward four months later. Liberated, the victims begin picking up the pieces. We discover a fellow survivor, Georg, who protected Tasha from the Kapo in Auschwitz. He ‘brought drive and positivity into her life.’ He becomes an important figure in her future. Starting with convincing her to go to England with the rescued children, even though she feels the pull to stay and search for her mother. It’s a hard decision for sixteen year old Tasha. But her choice opens her many new possibilities. She does a lot of growing over the rest of this novel. There are ups and downs, hurt and happiness. But she gets her answers and the story keeps rolling in like the waves over your heart.

This is a great addition to the series. A brilliant delivery, with exceptional characters and a riveting plot. It is etched in truth and eventually triumph. There are some very sad moments but still it offers a message of hope and healing. 5 Stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thanks to Bookouture and Netgalley for my review copy.

I have read many WWII historical fiction novels but never one specifically about the children in concentration camps after the war ends. Wow, what a heart breaking, emotional roller coaster.! I loved this story with all its ups and downs, and twists and turns. What great characters! They were well developed with lovable and unlikeable traits. This story really hit home with how devastating and emotional this experience had to be. It reminds me of reading the middle grade novel by Alan Gratz, Prisoner B-3087 with my sixth graders. All of us had tears in our eyes multiple times.
I found the strength of these characters to be outstanding. It is also very forgivable to have self=centered behaviors to help cope with past experiences. The storyline was well paced and I was constantly wanting and waiting for more to happen. This novel is very realistic and made me think about how children act and why they act a certain way. Interestingly, adults are similar. We do things because of our background and our experiences. I look forward to reading Anna Stuart's backlist and any new books in the future.

A HUGE thank you to Net Galley, Bookouture, and Anna Stuart for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this
wonderful historical fiction novel.

heartbreaking book about a young girl tasha imprisioned in auschwitz with her mother and and days before liberation they are separated then a journey begins will they find each other were will they end up on their search this ius a brilliant story and derserves the 5 stars .

Tasha Ancel is 16 years old when she is separated from her mother by the Nazis in Auschwitz. After the liberation, she is officially an orphan and is given the chance to live in England to start a new life. During the war, Alice was able to leave Germany and find refuge in England but her brother and his family weren’t able to. She becomes a caretaker for children during and after the war. The uncertainty of life after the war and not being able to find answers about their loved ones, leaves Tasha and Alice unable to move forward without answers. Searching for their family, Tasha and Alice form a bond. It takes years after the war, but they both finally get the answers about their families.

I could not stop crying while reading this book. It was so beautifully written and so heartbreaking. Anna Stuart really does a beautiful job portraying each of the characters and the struggles that they face in the aftermath of WW2. Alice was by far my favorite character. It is people like Alice that bring light to the world when everything seems hopeless. In the end, family is what you make it. Each of the characters has known devastating loss that will always be part of them, but they find love and a future with each other. I was amazed that a lot of the characters, including Alice, were based on real people. These people were heroes. This was a 5-star read and I recommend this book to everyone.

Set against the backdrop of the liberation of Auschwitz, a ragtag bunch of orphans, some so young they have no memories of their mamas or homelands, are transported to scenic, bucolic halfway homes in the English countryside to heal and begin life again aided by Anna Freud and her team of specialized care givers. Alice is so rich in characterization, I felt like I knew her. Tesha, the she-devil was so perfectly illuminated in both mind and body, that I felt as if I wanted to jump into Anna Stuarts pages and help Tessa recover from hell on earth.

This is a poignantly, beautifully told story of forming families and forgiveness among the unthinkable, unspeakable horrors of what man can do to its fellow man. I am an avid reader of historical fiction, especially WWI and WW2 and this book kept me reading from dawn until well past bedtime. The characters became my friends, my wards, and pulled at my heartstrings. The setting was so rich, I could picture every detail as I was reading. I will never forget this story and how it opened my eyes to the realities of a what one man and his hatred can do to an entire world. I enjoyed the soft-spoken caring of Alice, aided by the respect and prodding of Anna Freud, bringing the psychological aspect of these horrors to the forefront of the story.

Both tragic and beautiful, the story resonates, hovering between severe anger toward a culture and the need to forgive them their transgressions. This book will be forever on my bookshelf to read repeatedly. Many thanks to Net Galley and Bookouture for an advance copy which I read in less than ten hours, with a handful of breaks. Absolutely beautiful storytelling. Five stars all around.

THE WAR ORPHAN by ANNA STUART is a beautifully written story, very emotional and sad as WW11 stories can be, but full of hope as we follow Jewish youngsters from the horrors of Nazi Germany to a new life in England, first of all to Windermere in the beautiful Lake District, an then to Lingfield in Surrey, to live in part of Sir Benjamin Drage’s beautiful home. The author really gives us insight into the trauma experienced by those affected by the war, and the anger and fear caused by the inhumane treatment they received, and things they witnessed that no child should see…..
Tasha Ancel’s mother, Lydia, was forced out of Auschwitz on a death march, leaving her daughter locked inside the barracksby the guards. An older boy, Georg Lieberman, managed to knock the door down so they could escape. Ending up in the Theresienstadt camp, Georg convinces Tasha to board the orphan plane for England, which she does, clutching a bag with locks of her mother’s beautiful red hair, just like her own, that had been brutally shorn by the guards. Hair plays an important part in the story and one cannot help but love the flamboyant Joyce of the bright and cheerful Beautiful You hair salon.
We see how Tasha and Lydia never give up on searching for the other,….
Alice Goldberger has spent her life caring for children in need. She is a wonderful character who, together with her friend Sophie, moves from the New Barn nursery, one of Anna Freud’s post war nurseries, to care for the new arrivals from Europe. I like to see her strong faith in God and her compassion and love for the children making up this strange little family. She has something in common with Tasha in that she is desperately waiting for news of her brother Max and his family. Georg, on the other hand, rarely talks about his parents….
I am not going to tell you any more for fear of spoiling things for you.
I cannot recommend The War Orphan highly enough. I found it an inspiring read.
I was given a free copy of the book by NetGalley from Bookouture. The opinions in this review are completely my owm.

Aaarrgghhhh, the heartache!! WWII stories always (or at least most of the time) get to me. When there are children involved it just breaks my heart even more. We follow children who survived Auschwitz and been brought to England. They were thought to be orphans…but were they?! How horrific it is to not know if your parents or alive or dead. How sad to not know if you have any family left?! Would you stay in the ‘safe place’ you have been brought to or would you go back to find your parents? This is just a beautifully written book. I loved how the book made me think as well. What would I do? Move on and try to live my life after everything or do I need answers?
The character development was amazing and I especially liked the behavioural parts. There were so many emotions I felt reading this book, which I finished very fast. A heartwarming and heartbreaking book. Definitely recommended for Historical Fiction Lovers.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you, NetGalley, and Bookouture for this ARC.

The War Orphan was a phenomenal read….my favorite of the year, and I read a lot! Tasha is separated from her mother during WW2 in the Auschwitz concentration camp. The rest of the story tells about her search for her mother, and what she ends up finding along the way: home, love and future. It was hard to put this one down. It was heart wrenching, shocking and beautiful. I can’t wait to read more of Anna Stuart’s books.

If I could give this book 10 stars I absolutely would!! When Tasha and her mom get separated at the gates of Auschwitz as the war is ending, it’s a long road ahead to their journey to find their way back to each other.

Tasha goes to England with other children to find a home but she can’t let go of the deep desire to be reunited with her mom. This was such a moving story. So many families struggled to reunite after WW2 and this really showed the struggle. We also see how new families can be built to make way for a bright future. This book will forever have my heart.

This book deserves to be read! For the facts contained within and the utterly heartbreaking story it conveys. I just loved it.

Tasha is separated from her mother in Auschwitz by guards, and so begins the story of Tasha’s search for the person who means the most to her, her only reminder being snips of her mother’s hair. Tasha journey isn’t an easy one, although she has Georg for company and to keep her safe. The kindness of Alice Goldberger sometimes acts in the reverse for Tasha, although Alice has intuitive thinking when it comes to the young. Alice herself is searching for her brother Max and his family who were left behind when the Germans moving all the Jews .
One of the brightest parts of the book was the introduction and descriptions of “Beautiful You”, Joyce sounded so apt for the part.
I think I cried all through the last two chapters. I even enjoyed the details of who all the characters were based on.
I look forward to Anna’s next book.