They Went Left by Monica Hesse Review

 

It has been a while since I read They Went Left by Monica Hesse and I can't get it out of my head. The story and characters are living rent free in my mind. Zofia Ledermen has clawed her way into my heart...boots and all.

This book takes place after WWII, we follow our main character, Zofia Lederman as she goes on a quest to find her younger brother Abek, to whom, she has made a promise to find him again, when they last saw each other and were separated, three years ago. He is the last family she has left, the rest of her family was killed in the gas chambers during the war. 

As we go on this journey with Zofia, we learn about her struggles, her memories from the concentration camps and the war, everything she had to endure. We get to know Zofia and see what is left of her as a human being and we get to meet new friends.

The author did a brilliant job at keeping my interest. I didn't want to put this book down. This story barely took off when I already had my first, awwwww(clutching my heart) moment. Though this story was heartbreaking, I just couldn't leave Zofia in those pages...I wanted to finish the journey with her. But the author also gave me a heartwarming feeling of hope and love. This is definitely an author I want to read more from. 

There is no doubt in my mind that this book will find a spot on my bookshelf and will be re-read in the future. 

I rated this book 5 out of 5 stars