Book review: 'Someday We Will Fly' shows a teen's view of refugee life in China during World War II

Lillia Kazka is a Jewish teen, living in Poland during the beginning of World War II. However, unlike so many other novels set during this time and place, "Someday We Will Fly" takes Lillia and her family to China.

China!?

Did you know Jewish refugees fled to mainland China during World War II? Yeah, neither did I. Until I read this book. And guys, this book is not only written in a heartbreaking beautiful manner, but I learned a lot about China during the 1940s.

Image from Penguin Random House

The Kazkas are Jews living in Poland. Lillia is the oldest of two daughters. Naomi, her younger sister, is a toddler and has some kind of developmental delay; she doesn't talk and hasn't even walked yet. But Lillia and her parents love her fiercely. Lillia's parents are the famed performers in Warsaw's Stanislav Circus and she wants to be just like her gorgeous and talented mother.

It's 1940 and the four Kazkas have tickets to leave Warsaw for the safety of China because it's become obvious the Nazis don't like Jews. But, before they can board their train, Lillia's mother is lost during an anti-Jewish raid. So Lillia, her sister, and father leave for China together. Heartbroken over the loss of her mother, Lillia blocks out much of what happens to them on the ship and even their surroundings in the pitiful camp they're taken to in Shanghai.

So, full disclosure, this book kept ripping my heart into pieces and, in order to preserve my mental well-being, I had to keep putting it down so I could take breaks from it. But once I got through the first 150 pages I didn't need those breaks anymore and couldn't not put it down.

Author Rachel DeWoskin has a gorgeous writing style. I felt like I was actually in Lillia's mind and experiencing her thoughts. Reading about the people around her dying, American air raids (the Japanese had occupied Shanghai at this point in history), and her hunger causing her to obsess about food is captivatingly painful. When Lillia betrays her friends I wanted to cry out a warning, but I understood that, because of her situation, she was in utter survival mode. Then, when Lillia obtains employment in a gentleman's club, I held my breath during each of her shifts, hoping that the worst wouldn't happen. Finally, when I thought DeWoskin was going to keep me hanging in suspense, the fate of Lillia's mother is made known.

This book has it all: pathos, love, betrayal, and redemption. While it talks about some hard subjects (prostitution, refugees, war, death, starvation), it does so without going into too many gritty details. I plan on letting my 13-year-old read this book because I know she'll learn a lot and enjoy the writing.

Book breakdown:
357 pages
No illustrations
Best for ages: 13 to adult
Educational factor:medium
Religious content: talks about Jews during WWII, but actual Jewish practices are spoken of only a few times
Parents could be concerned about: Jewish refugees went through hard times! Captivity, refugees, death, sickness, knowledge of prostitution, and living in fear are all found in this book.