They Went Left

 

They Went Left
Monica Hesse

Little Brown, 2020 364 pages

Grades 10-Up

Historical Fiction

Zofia is released from a hospital immediately following WWII and into the care of the Russian soldier who rescued her from the concentration camp where she was held a poisoner. Her rescuer takes her back to the Polish town of her youth, only to find it changed and unwelcoming. Her main goal is to find her younger brother: the only family member thought to have survived and much beloved. Abek is not there, yet Zofia learns of a refuge camp in Germany that is likely to be hosting him. Zofia travels by train to the camp, where she is invited to stay as a refugee. After making inquiries about Abek, Zofia gets settled in and makes a few friends. One such friend is set to get married in a matter of days to a fellow refugee and Zofia rediscovers her sewing skills as she helps to prepare the wedding dress. Meanwhile, Yosef, a young man who tends to the horses, catches Zofia's attention. Is she too broken to start a relationship? And will she ever locate her long-lost brother? Dreamy interwoven chapters slowly relate Zofia's experiences in the camps. Is her memory reliable? Will she ever find healing?

What a book! I was reluctant to pick this title up, knowing that it was a holocaust book and not feeling up to THAT topic this year. This book is different from most holocaust books in that it doesn't center on the camps, but traces a survivor's experience after the war ends. This was an interesting perspective and one that is not common in books for young people. I am a big fan of Hesse and read her two previous teen titles. They Went Left is written as carefully and beautifully as the other two. I love the author's work and consider her a great writer. Unfortunately, her books are not as popular with teens, who may not be drawn to historical fiction or have preconceptions about the genre. There are major plot twists and developments-some which I figured out and some which completely surprised me, and I was not sure how the book was going to end. I was most satisfied with the hopeful ending and young readers will be as well. I would not recommend this book to younger teens in that there are sexually explicit scenes. That said, I would suggest it to twenty-somethings, the protagonist being 22 years old in her own right. Another great title from the teen-queen of historical fiction. Give this book to fans of Elizabeth Wein and Ruta Sepetys.