They Went Left is the unbelievable journey of Zofia Lederman, a Polish Jewess, who is trying to find her younger brother, Abek, after their concentration camps are liberated. The two siblings promise to find each other after the War and Zofia is going to travel the continent to find him. 

Along the way, the story intertwines with the lives of Esther, Breine and Miriam, women Zofia lives with at a Displaced Persons camp where she hopes to find Abek. Here we learn more about the women, where they came from, where they hope to be, and what their dreams are for the future. They Zofia under their wing and there is a strong sense of connection between them. 

While many liberated Jews did travel far and wide to find their family and loved ones, I believe Zofia’s journey is as much a mental and emotional journey as it is just physical. Healing from the scars inflicted on her seems an insurmountable task. But it is not impossible. The only criticism I have is that sometimes Zofia seems unbelievably self-aware for her character’s story arc. Otherwise, the characters are believable and their struggles, even more. 

In the story, we see how every person fights their own battles, even if it is just within themselves. The writing may be simple, but it never sacrifices emotion.