A gripping, if sometimes a bit gritty portrayal of Kathy and her life, first as an orphan, then in Nazi Germany, and later in her life. The author is not afraid to introduce some, as said before, gritty, but they show the atrocities and consequences of war. It was hard to put down the book even though it is not really a light read. But then again, one can know that just by reading the blurb as any book that mentions a war, especially one of the World Wars, cannot be completely pleasant and easy.

There isn’t much about this book that I don’t love. After having read a good number of texts lately that have alternating perspectives, following a single character from childhood through to maturity was as refreshing as it was beautifully executed. The mixture of memory and event creates a believable balance and you really get the sense of who Kathy is and why she does what she does. I love her bold, bolshy, attitude and found myself laughing at the spectacle of this precocious girl saying exactly what aggravates the most.

I loved the writing style and found it easy to engage with. The vocabulary was playful and had a beautiful and challenging variety that I haven’t come across often enough. I enjoyed how difficult concepts and word were introduced as it allows for readers to learn alongside Kathy if they are unfamiliar with the concepts, as well as humour, innuendo, and abounding personality and snark. I particularly loved the use of the word ‘bolshy’, the prevalence of dictionaries and definitions (they make my librarian heart sing!), and subtle message that all news should viewed through a critical lens and with constant questioning.