The main characters in Saying Goodbye to Warsaw by Michael
Cargill are Abigail ("Abbie), her brother Leo and her mom Chana.
"Like any girl who is loved by her family, Abigail
Nussbaum loves to chase butterflies, enjoys lying on her back looking for
shapes in the clouds, and happily teaches young children to make daisy chains.
In the eyes of certain people, however, Abigail has committed a heinous crime. The year is 1940; the place is Poland; Abigail happens to be Jewish.
Along with half a million other Jews, Abigail and her family are evicted from their home and forced to live in the bombed out ruins of Warsaw, the Polish capital.
Although a handful decide to fight back, is the uprising strong enough to save Abigail’s spirit?" Goodreads.com
In the eyes of certain people, however, Abigail has committed a heinous crime. The year is 1940; the place is Poland; Abigail happens to be Jewish.
Along with half a million other Jews, Abigail and her family are evicted from their home and forced to live in the bombed out ruins of Warsaw, the Polish capital.
Although a handful decide to fight back, is the uprising strong enough to save Abigail’s spirit?" Goodreads.com
Saying Goodbye to Warsaw is an inspiring book. It sounds
weird to say that about a book with such a horrible subject matter. The main
two themes that run throughout the book are if you don't like something fight
to change it and find something positive about your current situation.
Often times, the main characters, like other Jews during
1940, had little or no food, lived in filth and were afraid of the German
soldiers. Leo joins a revolutionary party to fight the Germans. He also finds a
way to provide food for his family. Chana, who is hopeless of her current situation
becomes determined to do something productive and helps out in the underground
soup kitchens that provide the majority of her family's food. Abbie, find
children to entertain and teach at the orphanage.
The book is not all inspiring because of the Nazi's. I am
not one to cry at books but fair warning, a box of tissues should probably be nearby.
I found myself cheering for the characters and shedding tears throughout the
book.
The ending is well throughout and matches with the theme of
the book. However, I would have liked the ending of the book to gone a
different way. I don't want to say too much about why because I feel it may
give away too much of the book. I say read the book and then let me know if you
agree. Most reviews I have seen so far agree with this.
Saying Goodbye to Warsaw is an amazing book that should be
read by all. It has made me favorite book of 2013 list.
