The End and the Beginning

“A heartbreaking, beautifully told story… A sad, poignant tale of two young boys caught up in Hitler’s machine, risking their lives to get away from the panic of the last days of World War II. K. J. Holdom has crafted a stunning story of this time, brilliantly weaving dual time periods and the tragic consequences when families are torn apart.” — HEATHER MORRIS, #1 internationally bestselling author of The Tattooist of Auschwitz“K. J. Holdom casts new light on the harrowing final days of World War II and the blurred lines of ‘Us vs. Them’. This narrative intertwines the heartrending struggles of a family caught between contested borders, resonating with timely concerns of displacement and the urgent need for global safety and stability. Lyrical prose and a deeply moving conclusion add depth to this evocative story.” — ELLEN KEITH, bestselling author of The Dutch Orphan“A haunting, beautiful story of friendship and loyalty, of laughter between tears, and of a steadfast trust in survival based on childhood innocence. The prose is poetry, the imagery crystal, the truth unimaginable.” — GENEVIEVE GRAHAM, #1 bestselling author of The Secret Keeper“Tracing one family’s impossible quest to reunite amid the chaos and anarchy of the crumbling Third Reich, The End and the Beginning is a tale of devotion and faith, of lost innocence and grit, proving ultimately that heroism is not only found on battlefields but in the hearts of ordinary children. In superb, cinematic prose, K. J. Holdom depicts the unforgiving cost of war but also our boundless capacity to endure, to remember, to hope. I adored every page.” — ROXANNE VELETZOS, internationally bestselling author of The Girl They Left Behind“This masterfully told story about the resilience of the human spirit in the face of unspeakable evil left me in tears.” — ELINOR FLORENCE, bestselling author of Wildwood and Bird’s Eye View“The End and the Beginning is a rare tale, beautifully told, of a chapter in history that had to wait its turn to be written. As German forces rolled over their presumed enemies, they rolled over their own people too, many of them innocent, many of them children. This is the story of a family shattered, never to be made whole again, either physically or emotionally. K. J. Holdom has given us a powerful—and today, especially contemporary, especially poignant—reminder that war has no victors. An extraordinary and brilliant achievement.” — JOSEPH KERTES, winner of the National Jewish Book Award for Gratitude

K.J. Holdom is a New Zealand writer who lives in Auckland. A former journalist, she holds a master’s in creative writing from the University of Auckland, where she won the 2018 Master of Creative Writing Prize for best manuscript. The End and the Beginning is her first novel.