*Starred Review* Growing up in a secular Jewish home in Holland, Anneke cares little about Judaism, so she has no faith to lose when, in 1943, her family is deported to Theresienstadt, the Nazi concentration camp. At 14, she suffers backbreaking labor and foul, unsanitary conditions along with more than 40,000 prisoners, who are all crowded into a town built for 7,000. Always there is the terror of being sent on the dreaded transports to the gas chambers. Based on the experiences of the author’s mother, who survived two years in Theresienstadt but did not speak about it for more than 60 years, this novel is narrated in Anneke’s first-person, present-tense voice. The details are unforgettable: Anneke’s irritation with her pesky little brother; her friendship and romance with young people who are sent, later on, to the death camps; the hunger that drives her and her grandfather to eat the enamel in their cups; her shame and anger. The questions raised in the author’s note will lead readers back to the parallel, heartbreaking issues in the fictional story. Why did the author’s mother keep silent for so long? Was she ashamed that she survived because her father, a famous artist, helped the Nazis by prettying up the model camp for a Red Cross inspection? And why did the Red Cross fall for it? An important addition to the Holocaust curriculum. Grades 7-12. --Hazel Rochman
Review
"A very personal, thought-provoking and, ultimately, hopeful book." ― The Jewish Independant
"Through Anneke's eyes, author Monique Polak presents an astonishing and depressing event." ― CM Magazine
[Starred review] "Heartbreaking. An important addition to the Holocaust curriculum." ― Booklist
"A powerful story of growing up in unspeakable conditions, of human suffering, loss and, ultimately, hope." ― The Chronicle Herald
"The underlying truth of what happened and how her family survived is really what makes this utterly compelling fiction…I am so grateful to [Monique and other authors like her] who tackle these really difficult stories and write unflinching books for teenagers." -- Nikki Tate ― "All Points West," CBC Radio One
"[Offers] a candid look at a father's presumed collusion, a perspective rarely seen in YA literature about the Holocaust." ― Publishers Weekly
"The pressure and urgency of inspiration, not to mention tears and blood, is palpable everywhere." ― The Montreal Gazette
"This book certainly holds its own in the canon of Holocaust-based fiction for the young adult audience...Polak balances this [dark reality] with uplifting moments of friendship, family tenderness and even romance." ― Resource Links
"Takes the reader to the heart of the horror by creating a character whose vivid confusion, disbelief, and innocence are immediate and powerful." ― The Rover
"An excellent novel—a great tale of overcoming adversity in a time of such dark despair." ― TeensReadToo.com
"Recommended." ― Tucson Unified School District
"The descriptive narrative is cohesive, well-constructed, and compelling and provides a different view of what a man deemed necessary to survive. ― Tri State Young Adult Book Review Committee
"This book is well-written, the characters are developed so well you can relate to them, the setting is described such that you can picture it in your mind, and the action and suspense make you keep turning the pages." ― YALSA YA Galley Teen Review
"[This] realistic novel, written in memoir format, raises questions of moral principles and beliefs while it portrays the horrors of the Holocaust." ― School Library Journal
"Well written, thought provoking, and a solid addition to the canon of Holocaust fiction - perfect for reading lists and teens who enjoy historical fiction." ― VOYA
"This well-written, painful story is a good addition to the genre of Holocaust fiction… Recommended." ― Library Media Connection
"Full of hope...This volume makes for great reading and an excellent resource for a school library." ― Canadian Children's Book News
"Polak's story breathes life into a period fading from memory." ― Montreal Review of Books
"Intriguing and quite unique...The reader will undoubtedly find much to think about. I would recommend What World is Left to anyone interested in this often-overlooked piece of history." ― What If? Magazine
“Polak writes authentically...An unusual Holocaust novel told through the eyes of a cognizant, questioning teen.” ― Kirkus Reviews
Book Description
Right and wrong have lost their meaning for Anneke.
From the Inside Flap
Holocaust, concentration camps, survival
From the Back Cover
I scratch the skin around my shoulder. I know I mustn't, but I can't help it. I am itchy everywhere. I fight the urge to jump out of the bunk. Besides, there is no place to go. We are prisoners here. If only this was the dream and I could wake up and return to my old life.The unthinkable has happened. Anneke and her family have been taken by train from their comfortable home in Holland to Theresienstadt, a "model" concentration camp in Czechoslovakia. But there is nothing model about bed bugs, starvation, disease, lice, hard labor and constant brutality. Despite the hunger, the anxiety and the pain, Anneke learns that she is capable of doing whatever it takes to survive. She also discovers that even the grayest of days can be brightened by a friend's smile or a lover's kiss.
About the Author
Monique Polak is the author of more than thirty books for young people. She is the three-time winner of the Quebec Writers' Federation Prize for Children's and YA Literature for her novels Hate Mail, What World is Left and Room for One More. In addition to teaching at Marianopolis College in Montreal, Monique is a freelance journalist whose work has appeared in Maclean's Magazine, the Montreal Gazette and other Postmedia newspapers. She is also a columnist on ICI Radio-Canada's Plus on est de fous, plus on lit! In 2016, Monique was the CBC/Quebec Writers' Federation inaugural writer-in-residence. Monique lives in Montreal.
Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.
I scratch the skin around my shoulder. I know I mustn't, but I can't help it. I am itchy everywhere. I fight the urge to jump out of the bunk. Besides, there is no place to go. We are prisoners here. If only this was the dream and I could wake up and return to my old life.
