Q&A: Kelly Rimmer, Author of ‘The Warsaw Orphan’

From Nazi occupation to the threat of a communist regime, The Warsaw Orphan is the unforgettable story of Elzbieta and Roman’s perilous attempt to reclaim the love and life they once knew.

We chat with author Kelly Rimmer about The Warsaw Orphan, writing, book recommendations, and so much more!

Hi, Kelly! Tell our readers a bit about yourself!

Hi there! I’m the author of 11 novels, a mix of contemporary and historical fiction. I live in rural Australia, with my husband, 2 human kids, and a whole bunch of fur-babies.

Quick lightning round! Tell us the first book you ever remember reading, the one that made you want to become an author, and one that you can’t stop thinking about!

Easy questions – the first two answers are both Heidi, by Johanna Spyri. That book changed my life because it made me fall in love with reading, and it made me want to be an author myself. And I can’t stop thinking about Sorrow and Bliss by Meg Mason.

When did you first discover your love for writing?

In Kindergarten, my teacher had these little word magnets we students would use to form sentences. I remember crying because one day she made me put those word magnets down to go to lunch. It’s fair to say I discovered my love for writing early…

Your new novel The Warsaw Orphan is out today! If you could only describe it in five words, what would they be?

Historical, heartbreaking, emotional, uplifting & hopeful.

What can readers expect?

The Warsaw Orphan is a novel about two teenagers living in Warsaw during the occupation. Elzbieta Rabinek lives a sheltered but relatively safe life with her adoptive parents a few blocks from the Warsaw Ghetto. After she stumbles upon her neighbor’s resistance activities, Elzbieta becomes involved in a scheme to smuggle children out of the Ghetto to be placed with Catholic foster families on the other side of the wall. Through this work, she meets a young Jewish boy, Roman Gorka, who is trapped in the Ghetto with his family.

Were there any challenges you faced while writing? If so, how you were able to overcome them?

I had planned a trip to Poland to complete my research for this book, but the pandemic got in the way of that, so instead I completed all of my research from Australia. I was fortunate that I’d already been to Poland to research one of my earlier novels, and between my memories, notes and photographs from that trip, my existing contacts, and a whole lot of reading, I was still able to get the information I needed.

Were there any favourite moments or characters you really enjoyed writing or exploring?

I really loved writing both of my main characters. Elzbieta actually appears in one of my earlier novels and she struck me as a special character right from the start. She’s strong and courageous, curious and creative, and this is exactly the kind of character I love to read about myself.  Roman was inspired by the stories of incredible courage I read about when I was researching the Warsaw Ghetto and the dual Uprisings he participates in. At times it was upsetting to think about the life a young man like Roman would have lived, but it’s important for us to confront these aspects to history. I’m so glad I decided to write him.

What’s the best and the worst writing advice you have received?

Someone once told me that there is no “right” way to write a book. It’s so true – every single writer has to learn what works for them, and they have to relearn that all of the time, because our lives and circumstances change and the best process for us might change right along with them. And at the other end of the quality scale, when I was first published someone told me that to build a career in publishing, I’d need to write in third person. I was an am open to writing in third person too, but so far it’s felt more natural to me to write in first person so far, so that’s what I’ve always done.

Now for writing advice from you! What would you say to aspiring historical fiction authors?

If you’re going to write fiction set against real-life historical events, you owe it to the people who lived through those times to do so respectfully and to try to get the details right. Research matters.

What’s next for you?

My next novel is called The German Wife and it’s likely to hit shelves in May 2022.

Lastly, do you have any book recommendations for our readers?

The Woman With the Blue Star by Pam Jenoff and The Forest of Vanishing Stars by Kristin Harmel are both brilliant.

Will you be picking up The Warsaw Orphan? Tell us in the comments below!