Overview

Inspired by a little-known piece of history—the underground group that kept an archive to insure that the lives of Jewish occupants of the Warsaw Ghetto in World War II were not lost to history—this is a heart-wrenching novel of love and defiance that People calls “gripping, emotional, and against all odds, hopeful.”

“This book is a masterpiece: profound, gripping, urgent, and beautiful.”—Madeline Miller, New York Times bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles

On a November day in 1940, Adam Paskow becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto, where the Jews of the city are cut off from their former lives and held captive by Nazi guards to await an uncertain fate. Weeks later, he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Would he join a secret group of archivists working to preserve the truth of what is happening inside these walls?

Adam agrees and begins taking testimonies from his students, friends, and neighbors. He learns about their childhoods and their daydreams, their passions and their fears, their desperate strategies for safety and survival. The stories form a portrait of endurance in a world where no choices are good ones.

One of the people Adam interviews is his flatmate Sala Wiskoff, who is stoic, determined, and funny—and married with two children. Over the months of their confinement, in the presence of her family, Adam and Sala fall in love. As they desperately carve out intimacy, their relationship feels both impossible and vital, their connection keeping them alive.

But when Adam discovers a possible escape from the Ghetto, he is faced with an unbearable choice: whom can he save, and at what cost ?

Inspired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat, New York Times bestselling author Lauren Grodstein draws listeners into the lives of people living on the edge. Told with immediacy and heart, We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a piercing story of love, determination, and sacrifice.

Review

Adam has been approached by someone he is not familiar with. This person has a strange request. He wants Adam to start documenting the testimonies from his students, friends and neighbors. Adam learns their fears and dreams and he also learns about their survival techniques in the Warsaw ghetto.

This is more of a 3.5 star read, rounded up. Yes, I know I am in the minority on this book! This book moved slowly in many places and there are quite a few characters, and to be honest, I just did not feel a connection with any of them. I think it is more of the layout of the book, the diary format. I do think it is important testimony. I just needed more emotion.

I did learn a few things and this is always important to me. I knew a lot occurred with many Jews turning on other Jews. This book brings a lot of this to light. Sometimes when you read a Holocaust novel, the bad people who are not Nazis, are not really brought to the attention of the reader. This story talks about it all.

Need a different WWII story…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today n

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

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