Chasing the Light — Liz Kessler

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. A Sunday Times Children's Book of the Week, this is the perfect story for readers of Private Peaceful, The Book Thief and Anne Frank’s The Diary of a Young Girl. Three friends. Two sides. One memory.Vienna. 1936. Three young friends – Leo, Elsa and Max – spend a perfect day together, unaware that around them Europe is descending into a growing darkness, and that events soon mean that they will be cruelly ripped apart from each other. With their lives taking them across Europe – to Germany, England, Prague and Poland – will they 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.  Praise for When the World Was Ours?:  'An exceptional read' The Sunday Times, Children's Book of the Week 'When The World Was Ours is Liz's masterpiece . . . an instant classic' Anthony McGowan, winner of the 2020 CILIP Carnegie Medal 'A wonderful book, half tragedy, but told with such sheer, warm humanity that it leaves you with hope' Hilary McKay, author of The Skylarks' War 'I haven't read a Holocaust book for children that's better' Charlotte Eyre, The Bookseller 'An absolute masterpiece!' Keren David, author of What We're Scared Of