The Children of Willesden Lane

By, Lauren Burns

“The music will give you strength… It will be your best friend in life.” When the Nazis come to Vienna, Lisa Jura, the piano prodigy, is shipped to England on the Kindertransport. There she moves into Willesden Lane and meets many friends. This book was extremely well-written and I enjoyed it very much!

One of the best parts of this book was the characters. First Lisa. She is a determined Jewish girl who strives to be the best pianist she can be. “Her hands flew lightly into the trills and arpeggios, speeding up and down the keyboard.” (p. 208) The next character is Aaron. Aaron is a carefree, romantic, almost a troublemaker, and a charming person. He is always bringing Lisa to concerts, getting her little gifts, and being a great friend. “She heard a crashing from the stairs and, Aaron, breaking the rules…” (p.162) The last person is her piano teacher, Professor Isseles. He is the teacher behind Lisa’s phenomena. But was forced to stop when the Nazis forbade Jews from mingling with any other race. The characters in this book are amazing!

Next, the description. The description in this book is amazing! “The girls were even more intimidating; most wore simple but elegant black dresses, often accented by a single strand of pearls.” (p.205) “Soon the basement was almost toasty, and the walls and bottles became coated with condensation as the dampness was replaced by a pleasing warmth.” (p.196)  The description ties the whole book together and keeps you interested for a long time!

Mona Golabek, the author, writes everything in this book perfectly. This book is so nicely organized you’ll never be confused. The theme of this book is also very touching. While Lisa experiences love, a growing sense of music, and a fight to survive, you will not be able to put the book down. The last thing is the flow in this book. This book flows so nicely. You will never get bored and you will never find a choppy sentence.

The Children of Willesden Lane is a beautiful memoir, filled with love, music and survival.The authors Mona Golabek and Lee Cohen are both very accomplished people. Fun Fact: Mona Golabek is Lisa Jura’s daughter!   If memoirs interest you, you should definitely read The Children of Willesden Lane.