In 1930s Berlin, young Henrik, the son of a Jewish father and Aryan mother, watches the world around him crumbling: people are rioting in the streets, a strange yellow star begins appearing in shop windows, and friends are forced to move—or they simply disappear.
After his father becomes gravely ill, Henrik and his little sister, Greta, are taken by their mother to Poland for safety. However, … However, not even the pastoral surroundings of their new home can protect them from the terrors of war. When the Nazis invade and Greta is kidnapped, Henrik must shed his youthful innocence and search for his lost sister, a quest that will further reveal a harrowing landscape of violence and struggle―but also unexpected connections.
Uniquely told from the perspective of youth plunged into adult chaos, Pastel Orphans is a coming-of-age story that explores profound lessons in self-belief, kindness, and human endurance.
Revised edition: This edition of Pastel Orphans includes editorial revisions.
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Pastel Orphans is the story of Henrik and Greta a brother and sister that were separated because of the terrible WW2.
Henrik and His mother and sister moved out looking to found a new secure place with his aunt Fenka far away from the evil of the nazis, they were trying to start a new life after his father died from a terrible illness all alone without being able to travel with them.
But the new life they desperately need was completely destroyed by the Nazi’s arrival, they stole his sister, they left his mother heartbroken and terrible ill, paralyzed and sad.
Henrik is determined to save his sister, to make his mother smile again no matter if he had to grow faster and be the man of the house… Greta was just a child, she really didn’t know what was happening but everything was breaking apart, Henrik was angry to see the events unfold the cruelness of the Nazi who hurt his mother beyond repair.
Pastel Orphans is the story or the journey of Henrik searching for his sister, what he went through, what he saw, and what he lived was too much for his young age, he wasn’t expecting to join the resistance but in a time of chaos and very little hope, Henrik will step up to the challenge and fight hard for those he loves.
This was a great book, I really love it, I cry so much with Henrik but I also enjoy so much how smart and kind he was.. at the beginning of the book he really made me laugh so hard with his shenanigans but what I love the most about the story and the book is how we get to see Henrik evolve as the pages continue to be turned, he was growing very fast but at the same time he was learning so much about love, life, and faith.
Many great secondary characters really made this book even better and contributed so much to Henrik and Great’s story. Henrik made a few friends while searching for Greta, friends that were also fighting for a cause and knew many things that in the long run helped so much Henrik on his task.
it wasn’t an easy ride as many times Henrik faced many obstacles that made his journey very hard, it really broke my heart when he saw for the first time many of the atrocities were happening all around.. or when he saw what happened to his best friend that was a very sad heartbreaking moment
Overall this was a great journey I really enjoy it so much, the characters especially the main ones were a delight and so enjoyable.
Everyone should read this.
Reading this book, you don’t know how it ends but you know that bad things are going to happen. It will fill your heart with so much sorrow you don’t know how you will handle it. Gemma Liviero tells the tell of a mixed race family in Germany (Jewish father and German mother), at first they can not believe what they read and hear of Hitler but when it becomes truth Henrik and his sister Greta are taken to Poland for safety. Their father is ill and stays behind, but he has bought new identities for his family so they will be safe. But sadly Poland is not much safer and Greta is kidnapped and taken for the “new” Germany. Henrik leaves his mother and Aunt behind to find his sister and enters a world were you will do anything to survive and you hold hope close to your heart. The flow of this book is wonderful, the chapters are told from different perspectives witch make it real and haunting. Everyone has a story, everyone has sorrows, there is goodness and evil but, Goodness in its own way comes through in the end.