A significant and important piece of historical fiction. Deeply moving and emotional look at people living in the Warsaw ghetto in WW2. A new to me bit of history. Well drawn characters and excellent story. Recommend!

Set in the Warsaw Jewish ghetto, this was a very moving story that offers a glimpse into everyday survival in horrendous conditions. Main character Adam Paskow, a middle age widower, reluctantly gives his apartment to his Catholic father in law and moves to an apartment in the ghetto. He is outraged when two other families move in, all tricked by his father in law.
They are relatively fortunate to have some money and possessions that can be sold, traded, or used for firewood through the many months they live there.
Based off true journals from the residents, thisbstory was enlightening as tragic. We must never forget the atrocities of the Holocaust.

On what seems like an ordinary November day, in 1940, Adam Paskow, finds himself trapped inside the Warsaw Ghetto. The unimaginable has happened and each he spends trying to find a new normal. The Jews of the city have been rounded up and cut off from the city. The Nazi guards, will determine the fate of each and every Jewish citizen and it is horrific. A few weeks into the lock up, a stranger asks Adam if he would like to be apart of the resistance. A group of archivists working to preserve the truth of what is happening. Adam begins and starts speaking and working with friends,
neighbors and students to get their verbal testimonies. He doesn’t want to miss one single story and once he hears makes him more defiant, to get them all. His flatmate Sala Wiskoff, becomes one of his closet friends. As they endure their confinement their friendship grows. Feelings become hard to ignore and they must tread lightly. She is a funny, smart confidant but there is a line he tries so hard not to cross. One day he is offered a way out of the ghetto and it is an offer too good to refuse. He can’t conceive staying in the ghetto but he can’t imagine leaving it. His instinct is to run but can he? Will he be able to leave those behind he now loves? A story about the Holocaust is never an easy to read. Lauren Grodstein, has written a beautiful book about another aspect of the Holocaust and it was heartbreaking. But it proves that even when men/women are being treated horrifically, the human spirit tends to rise and protect the people. This book was inspired by the testimony gathering project called Oneg Shabbat, I think it is important to know how brave these people were, how much they sacrificed their own lives to listen and to record these testimonies. I never pass up an opportunity to read a historical fiction book, it’s my favorite genre of books. We Must Not Think Of Ourselves, is a perfect example of capturing such a difficult time in history with such heart. The characters are excellent and the story is top notch. I want to thank Netgalley, the author & Algonquin Books for my copy for an honest review. It was my pleasure to read and review this book. It was a 5 star read for me and I have recommended it to all my book lovers.

In Poland 1940 while Jews are being rounded up and their houses and possessions stolen, they are being sent to a small part of the city to all live together in an urban prison - the Warsaw Ghetto. Adam, a widower and a teacher, ends up in a corner of an apartment which he shares with multiple other families. As a teacher he continues to teach the children in the Ghetto as well as joining a new project - the Oneg Shabbat. He begins helping the other secret archivists to interview other Ghetto residents and keep journals of the horrors going on around them. While trying to live through impossible circumstances Adam is forced to make choices that would have seemed inconceivable to him before the war.

This had been on my TBR for quite a while so I was excited to finally get to it. This book had so much to discuss and I’m glad I was about to get some thoughts out with a friend. While it’s a Holocaust story (and an excellent one at that) - it’s also about the human condition and how people are excellent at adapting to the circumstances that they are in. Children are children and need to have life move forward and continue to go on even with the world falling apart around them. I loved learning about the Oneg Shabbat project and the desire to document the individual stories of people in the Ghetto as well as the macro experiences around them. I am picky about what WWII novels I want to read but this one is definitely a worthwhile one.

Thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the ARC

Earlier this month I went on a tour of Poland. I had this book on my TBR and read it when I returned home. My first stop on my trip was a visit to the Warsaw ghetto which included the monument of the Footbridge over Chlodna Street which is depicted on the cover.

The book is about Adam Paskow, a teacher, living in the Warsaw ghetto. While there, he becomes part of a secret group of archivists creating a historical record for the future by interviewing students, and housemates. For each interview,he documents the horrific conditions, their feelings, as well as the daily struggles. These documents were recovered after the war - The Oneg Shabbat underground archive.

I want thank the author for this well researched and impactful novel.

The offerings for WWII historical fiction is very saturated; it is often hard to find a plotline that I haven't read before. This book offered a refreshing new story to read and enjoy. While every Holocaust story is worth the read, this one highlighted the resilience of prisoners in the Warsaw ghetto. The most heartbreaking is remembering that this book was based off of REAL and actual archives.

I know there are a lot of Holocaust books out there. This one is worth the read! Well written, raw, and honest.

An important story that I wish I saw more people reading! I did feel like the beginning was slow but I appreciated the ending. I think if someone is unfamiliar with the Warsaw Ghetto and ghettos in general they would find this story fascinating.

I have always been drawn to stories set in World War 2, this was not an exception. Lauren did a fantastic job drawing us into a terrible place in Warsaw. The ghetto. We are drawn into a story that is hard, but so was that time. I would absolutely read this again.

We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein. Pub Date: November 28, 2023. Rating: 3 stars. Set in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII, this is a story that involves archiving the lives and stories of the people of Warsaw during a devastating time. The main character Adam is archiving what is happening at Warsaw and the people who have been affected by it. The hope is that one day people will be able to reflect and learn from the stories of the people who were put in Warsaw and shut off from their lives during WWII. WWII historical fiction can be a tough space to fit into due to it is heavily written about, which I think was why I only found this story to be 3 stars. I usually find these types of stories enthralling and engaging, but this time I did not and did not find it to be in a unique category of this heavily populated genre. I can appreciate what the author was trying to convey about preserving history, but overall this was just an okay read to me. Thanks to #netgalley and #algonquin for this e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

A wonderful example of historical fiction. Grodstein's characters inhabit the all of the pain and fear of jews in the wartime, Warsaw Ghetto. The plot arch was unexpected and riveting. A hard and difficult story told with a deft, graceful hand for character and voice.

We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a moving story set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. The novel follows Adam Paskow, an English teacher and childless widower, confined to the ghetto along with 450,000 others. Forced to leave his spacious flat, Adam now shares a cramped apartment with two other families, works in a soup kitchen, and teaches English to children in a bombed-out movie theater.

Adam’s life takes a turn when Emanuel Ringelblum recruits him to join a secret group of archivists documenting their experiences. Through interviews with his students and fellow residents, Adam records their lives, dreams, fears, and survival strategies. One of these interviews is with his flatmate, Sala Wiskoff, who, despite being married with two children, falls in love with Adam. Their relationship becomes a vital source of connection amidst the chaos.

Grodstein masterfully captures the Warsaw Ghetto's stark reality, with vivid depictions of the squalor, fear, and desperation. With stark realism, she captures the constant threat of violence and harrowing scenes of Nazi brutality. She also highlights the relentless optimism and determination of those living on the edge.

However, the sheer number of characters and the back-and-forth narrative structure can be disorienting, making it challenging to track the various storylines. While the episodic nature allows for a broad portrayal of ghetto life, it sometimes detracts from the depth of individual character arcs. 4 stars.

** Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for a review copy. The opinions are my own.

”We Must Not Think of Ourselves” is set in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII and based on the uprising against the nazis. The author creates a beautiful and harrowing tale of resilience, love, and sacrifice. This book shows the enduring human spirit and will to survive in the face of unimaginable hardship.

We Must Not Think of Ourselves should probably be on your summer reading list. It reminded me of the course I took in college entitled Literature of the Holocaust. The structure of the course was that we read 13 novels about the holocaust in a specific order starting with the ultimate victim, Anne Frank, to the ultimate perpetrator, The Reader. Like the Book of Lost Names, this fictional account of the Warsaw ghetto and the diaries kept could easily be slotted into this coursework that explores the moral complexity and ethical dilemmas nearly everyone living in this war experienced. I also appreciated how varied the characters in this book were in terms of their Jewish faith and family traditions (or lack thereof).

In We Must Not Think of Ourselves, I think the author does a good job demonstrating the sliding scale of victim and perpetrator. What would you do if it meant staying alive?

Books about the Holocaust are incredibly important, especially as the last survivors will soon be unable to share their personal accounts. Unfortunately, this book also seems timely and relevant to modern day with the ongoing war and terrorist activity happening.

Thank you to Algonquin Books/Algonquin Young Readers and NetGalley for my ARC.

Unique, unforgettable, and raw. I am always reading WW II novels and while I love the genre, they can sometimes feel a bit overdone. This was a new perceptive and way of storytelling on such a difficult time. I really enjoyed this and would recommend it!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thoughtful... draws you in... you can just feel everything and you want to know more about the characters. It is sad but the stories must be told, and the storyteller (both the author and the recorder in the book) are dramatic and well thought out.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. #sponsored

This is a tough read. It’s heartbreaking. I think when you know that the stories are real and fleshed out for fiction it makes it so much harder to read. We all need to hear, share, and bear witness. We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a must read.

Thank you Algonquin Books for allowing me to read and review We Must Not Think of Ourselves on NetGalley.

Published: 11/28/23

Stars: 4.5

Historically respectful story centered around a man being held in the Warsaw Ghetto during 1940. The man is recruited to take the testimony of those he meets so their lives will not be misrepresented or forgotten. The people that he spoke to were from all different walks of life. As I read, I imagined a journal where every page was a person's dream. But that imagery was short-lived: I know the outcome. A young lady, when asked what she missed the most admits after coaxing and anger, going to the theatre. I may never be the same, even now I cry remembering how she loved the movies and Fred Astair dancing.

The story is beautifully written. It is told through Adam's eyes. I related so well to him. (He has his own trials.)

I thoroughly love that Lauren Grodstein wrote a smart book, not a love story. Once again, I'm left with wondering how a parent chooses their spouse over their child.

Absolutely, more people should read We Must Not Think of Ourselves and reflect on the title. I am a better person for reading this.

Enjoyed this one but wish there was a little more “meat” to it. Found it didn’t really “grab” me. But still really enjoyed this unique take on the Warsaw ghetto

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein. Historical fiction is my favorite genre, and this beautifully written novel truly transported me. It is Poland in the late 1930’s. Jewish families are rounded up and contained in what came to be known as the Ghetto. Widower Adam is mourning the untimely demise of his bride, and he’s forced into an apartment with two other families. They all struggle to adapt and make ends meet. Adam was a professor, and he still meets young students, teaching them English. He’s drafted into duty to interview other Ghetto residents. They want a record of the horrors surrounding them on a daily basis. This novel is actually based upon those real Warsaw archives. We learn all about Adam’s roommates, his students and their families. It’s filled with tragic stories, but it’s also filled with love, hope and resilience. I loved these characters, and I cried for them. Heavy read, but one that I recommend. #thumbsup #bookstagram #whatiread #goodreads #netgalley #libbyapp #laurengrodstein #bookgram #reading #books

A descriptive story of life in the ghetto and the German’s move to extermination. Heartbreaking.. a difficult read.