I enjoy reading stories about WWII, it is always interesting, heartbreaking and you learn new things. So this book caught my attention.

Sadly I couldn't get into this book al all. I have tried several times, but the story just doesn't grap my attention.. It feels like there are all these ose scenes, there seems no flow in the story or something that ties the story together.

It seems like I am in the minority, since most reviewers seem to love this book. It just wasn't the writingstyle for me.

I received an e-arc through Netgalley.
This is the story of Janusz Korczak who dedicated his life to the children and orphanage in Poland. He had many chances to escape the Nazis in WWII, but he always refused to leave the children behind. This book is heartwrenching in the details of the Jewish ghetto where the children wasted away with illness and lack of food, heat or running water. It's hard to understand how people can be so cruel to each other.

WOAH! I thought I was needing a break from WWII Historical Fiction books but I wanted to read this before publication, and I was blown away! Please keep in mind that this is in no way an easy or fun book to read. It contains real depictions of war and suffering. The Teacher of Warsaw is based on the true story of Janusz Korczak, a polish educator and principal of a Warsaw orphanage. I cannot imagine the kind of courage it would take to do what this man did, and my heart shattered reading about the struggles and inhumane living conditions of the ghetto. I truly believe this book should be required reading. It feels wrong to give this book a star rating, but if I was asked to it would easily be 5 stars. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy.

This is my one of my favorite genres to read, and I've enjoyed other books by this author. That said, this one didn't work for me. I just couldn't connect with the characters or stay engaged in the storyline. Things fell a bit flat on many occasions, and maybe that was due to the translation differences. Perhaps I was expecting too much from this book, and instead, I found it to be more of a diary from the perspective of the orphanage at the camp. I would consider reading other books by this author in the future.

The Teacher of Warsaw by Mario Escobar is the fictional account of Henryk Goldszmit, more commonly known as James Korczak. Henryk's father became insane when Henryk was a youngster, so he determined never to have children of his own. He went to medical school and became a pediatrician, but he became known for his pedagogical and educational work. He founded a home for orphans in Warsaw. While not a practicing a Jew, he and his orphans were forced into the ghetto in Warsaw, He was with the children until they were deported to and killed at Treblinka.

This is a very cerebral story. Korczak was a philosopher and one of the great Polish minds of his day. His main proponent of life was to show love. The diary he left formed the backbone for this story. it is not an easy one to read, but the concepts he lived by are some of the same concepts Jesus taught. May we never forget what was done to the adults and children of the Warsaw ghetto so that it may never be repeated.

The Teacher of Warsaw was not an easy book to read. The Teacher of Warsaw was not a binge read. The Teacher of Warsaw was not fun entertainment. The Teacher of Warsaw was not a feel good story. With that being said, The Teacher of Warsaw should be a required read.

The Teacher of Warsaw was a slap of reality. The Teacher of Warsaw was a lesson in history. The Teacher of Warsaw was the telling of the atrocities experienced by the Jewish people in war torn Europe. The story shared more of what occurred in the Jewish Ghettos than all the history classes I have taken put together. The Teacher of Warsaw taught me that we need to stand up to the cruelties of others.

I appreciate the author's ability to bring the book to life. I was transported to the ghetto. I could picture the horrible living conditions. The smells became real. Nausea became a constant feeling. My heart broke. My world crumbled.

I am embarrassed for the human race, even though I have no control over others. The author's story shows how we shouldn't have let this happen and the way to honor those whose lives were taken is to make sure it never happens again.

Please read this book, and others like it. We need to remember the horrors. We need to prevent the cruelties from ever happening again.

September 1, 1939. Sixty-year-old Janusz Korczak and the students and teachers at his Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage are outside enjoying a beautiful day in Warsaw. Hours later, their lives are altered forever when the Nazis invade. Suddenly treated as an outcast in his own city, Janusz—a respected leader known for his heroism and teaching—is determined to do whatever it takes to protect the children from the horrors to come. When over four hundred thousand Jewish people are rounded up and forced to live in the 1.3-square-mile walled compound of the Warsaw ghetto, Janusz and his friends take drastic measures to shield the children from disease and starvation. With dignity and courage, the teachers and students of Dom Sierot create their own tiny army of love and bravely prepare to march toward the future—whatever it may hold.

Mario Escobar writes haunting stories about real characters in history. This one is no exception. He shows Korczak's love for his children and determination to get them through the nightmare of the Warsaw ghetto. Although the ending is not what I expected, the author shows Korczak's courage and love to the end. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for granting my request to read another of Escobar's beautifully written books.

“Good can overcome evil, and I was not afraid of walking right into the heart of darkness.”

“We all have something called dignity. Without it, life has no meaning.”

“Freedom ended right where fear began, which is why I have never been afraid.”

“Death is when forgetting wins. As long as we remember the ones who lived, they are still among us,”

The Teacher of Warsaw is another outstanding book written by Mario Escobar. His writing is poetic and philosophical making you feel as if you totally understand what everyone is feeling, even though it is impossible to understand, no matter how much you have read about this time in history. I find myself wanting to quote half the book in my review. Each sentence has such meaning.

The story is based on the life of Janusz Korczak, the compassionate, courageous,heroic teacher of Warsaw. We learn about his effort to save the Jewish children who were sent to his orphanage, Dom Sierot, in Poland during World War ll. He was considered one of the brightest minds in Poland who also had the biggest heart. This is a story about how one individual can make a difference.

While I have read many books on this horrific time in our history this particular story is very philosophical and beautifully written. It delves into the human emotions and inner feelings of the adults and children who were persecuted during this time.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Muse for an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This book is being read/reviewed for the Historical Novels Review Magazine's August 1 issue. A full review will be reposted after that date.

This is a true story of Dr. Janusz Korzak who with his friend is running a Jewish orphanage. The story is set in the year 1949, when Nazis invade Warsaw Poland, with the break out of World War II. The story follows the brutal treatment against the Jews by both the Nazis and by Poles who seemed to be supporting the Nazi's ideologies. Despite having a Jewish background, Dr. Korzak is a respected man among the people in Warsaw.

When I read the book Zookeeper's Wife and also watched the movie, I came across the name Dr. Korzack who was respected by Dr. Jan, who along with his wife saved more than five hundred Jews. Mario Escobar has done so much tremendous research about his life in general as well as the timeline that happened--the Nazi's takeover of Warsaw, the formation of Warsaw Ghetto, the moving of the children to the ghetto and the transportation to the concentration camp, Treblinka. Honestly, this book was really heartbreaking and emotional, particularly the ending. Dr. Korzack would do anything to save the innocent Jewish children even though he knew what will happen to all of them once they reach Treblinka concentration camp.

Though the story is based in true facts, some parts of the story as well as certain characters were fictionalized. Despite that, the author has done a tremendous good job of bringing the reader into the story, making the reader feel like they are part of the worst moments in the history. The hunger, these children are facing, the worst conditions of ghetto, the brutal treaments of the Jews by the Nazis in general were too unbearable and emotional to read. The ending of the story is too heartbreaking to read, knowing that this is a true story and that you know what will happen to those innocent children once they reach the concentration camp.

Of all the Holocaust books that I have read, personally, this book was too emotional to read, as it involved children. Worth five stars.

Many thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC. The review is based on my honest opinion only.

Engaging story of a man who ran an orphanage in Warsaw during WW2. They were Jewish and were moved into the ghetto. The man would protect his children whatever it took.

A moving insight into the lives of the Jewish in Poland during the German occupation in 1940.

Told from the perspective of Dr Janusz Korczak who was a former field doctor in the army and spent last thirty years dedicating his time to children especially Warsaw’s Jewish in particular.

Janusz runs an orphanage called Dom Sierot with a long time friend, Stefa.

Eventually they’d have to move from the orphanage to the ghetto where other Jews have been assigned to live. With dwindling food and medicine supplies— not to mention orphans dying on the street—Dr Janusz is constantly vacillating between staying back to help the orphans and moving to some other place like Sweden.

A thought-provoking read based on a true story. Highly recommend to lovers of historical fiction.

Thank you to Mario Escobar, NetGalley and Harper Muse for the arc of this book.

Based on the diary of Dr. Korczac, the teacher, this novel depicts the deplorable suffering of the children in Warsaw during Hitler's rule. The desperation of the Jewish people was heartbreaking. The teacher was a loving person who did everything he could for these orphans. Hard to read book. Recommended.

The Teacher of Warsaw is the story of Dr. Janusz Korczak who takes us with him throughout his journey in Warsaw during World War II. A well respected scholar who's spirit could not be broken despite the harsh realities he was forced to face as a Jewish man in a Nazi ridden country. The Dr. managed and taught at the Dom Sierot (Orphans Home) before he and all his children were moved into a ghetto where they survived day to day for years as the war raged on. The Dr. found ways to keep the spirits of his children up while in the ghetto even when he himself began to lose hope. Filled with valuable life lessons and true acts of faith, this heartbreaking piece of history is a must read to get a glimpse of life in the Warsaw ghettos.

Thank you NetGalley for an ARC of The Teacher of Warsaw in exchange for an honest review.

Firstly, this book, as the author asserts, is a work of fiction based on a short diary of Korczak. It is an amazing story of a man who dedicated his life to his orphans. Having to move into the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII, this book tells the tale of trying to survive the Nazi regime while facing starvation, illness and the hell of living in the ghetto. Korczak was deported to Treblinka along with his orphans but his story lives on in this factionalized account.

It is a heartbreaking story and one that is sure to be remembered by the reader long after the last page is read. 4 stars instead of 5 because I did not find the ‘voice’ of Korczak to be believable??? I am not sure that this is the most accurate word to describe the author’s writing however, it seemed as though many of the conversations and musings did not draw me in. Peppered amongst the story were philosophical questions and ‘conversations’ which Korczak pondered, which I’m sure were intended to convey the inhumanity of the Nazi regime. I found these interludes to be distracting and stilted the character’s voice, as though the author was trying too hard to include Korczak’s philosophy about child development rather than focus on the realities of the Warsaw Ghetto.

Overall an interesting and important story. One which ensures we will remember them…

An absolutely amazing book! So, beautifully written and heart wrenching. I couldn't put the book down, I loved the characters so much. The author makes you feel as if you are really there.

Dr. Janusz Korczak ran the Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage in Warsaw. He was a teacher to the many orphans (two hundred, most days) that he looked after during the years he ran the orphanage. When the Nazis took control of the city and all Jewish citizens were moved into the ghetto, Korczak, along with other friends and colleagues continued to do what was best for the children in their charge, “their children”. He was met with resistance at every turn and spent long hours procuring money, food and other resources that were necessary for their survival. A compelling tale of love, bravery, and hope; a respected teacher who chose not to leave those in his care behind.

I had never heard of Janusz Korczak prior to reading this work of historical fiction but am now aware of the depths that he took to advocate for children and how his work later influenced the United Nations. I would recommend this novel to anyone wishing to gain a better understanding of what life inside the Warsaw ghetto was like.

I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Muse for allowing me to read this novel. #NetGalley #TheTeacherOfWarsaw

This review has been translated from my spanish review in Goodreads

Score: 3.4 / 5Stars.

The Teacher of Warsaw is what I call a "Non-fiction novel", that is, it tells us a true story, based on facts, characters, and real locations, which is complemented with touches of fiction (especially in dialogues and conversations between characters), which unifies and gives more structure to the plot.

This is a heartbreaking book because it tells us about the horrible situation that the Jews experienced during the Nazi occupation of Poland, especially the orphaned children who were multiplying every week in the orphanages of Warsaw.

The main character is called Janus Korczak, a teacher who dedicated his life to caring for and teaching the most vulnerable children. He ran a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw and tells us first-hand about the precarious conditions in which he, the other teachers, and the little students lived during the dark events of World War II.

Mario Escobar's goal with this novel is clear: Let readers know about Janus and all the people who dedicated their lives to helping orphaned children, many of whom survived thanks to the actions of these characters. Almost 90% of the adult characters in this novel were real people whose actions saved more than a thousand lives. For that reason, it is important to remember them and keep in our memory the contribution they gave with their lives.

Now, considering everything previously mentioned, this is not my kind of book. I consider it highly important to read about these issues and reflect on our past, however, I was expecting a novel that included an intrigue or mystery in its plot, something that would motivate me to move forward in its pages. The Teacher of Warsaw is a book that can be read as a kind of diary, in which Professor Janus recounts various moments of the Nazi occupation from the perspective of the orphanage.

It is for this reason that I give it 3.4 stars. I recognize the investigative work of Mario Escobar and the great work he did in writing this book, however, it is not the type of story that I look for in my next readings. My imagination played tricks on me when I read the synopsis of this book.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy stories based on the times of World War II. Of course, I recommend having some handkerchiefs on hand because you will surely shed tears while reading it.

As a teacher myself, I loved reading from the teacher's point of view and getting to read about the experience of children during the holocaust. I loved that this book was based off of mostly real characters and although it's a sad and difficult story to read about, the reader is exposed to a more unique area of WW2 that most don't know about. This story is full of hope, courage, and frustration, but it's a story worth being told.

Thank you NetGalley and the publishers of this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

A beautiful, but deeply disturbing, story of the Warsaw Ghetto during the Nazi takeover during WWII. Certainly a worthwhile story, but not for the faint of heart.