Like I always say, I love a good historical novel but they are hard to come by. I get bored so easily that a book, especially a historical one, has to grab me from the beginning and Lisa Barr’s novel, The Goddess of Warsaw captured my attention from the opening chapter.

The story centers around an actress named Lena Browning aka Bina Blonski, a Polish Jewish woman who survived the Warsaw Ghetto. I really cannot even imagine living through the horrors. I appreciate books like this that shed light on this time in history. This is entertaining and Bina was a force to be reckoned with.

Synopsis:

Los Angeles, 2005. Sienna Hayes, Hollywood’s latest It Girl, has ambitions to work behind the camera. When she meets Lena Browning, the enormously mysterious and famous Golden Age movie star, Sienna sees her big break. She wants to direct a picture about Lena’s life—but the legendary actor’s murky past turns out to be even darker than Sienna dreamed. Before she was a Living Legend, Lena Browning was Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew whose life and family were destroyed by the Nazis.

Warsaw, 1943. A member of the city’s Jewish elite, Bina Blonski and her husband, Jakub, are imprisoned in the ghastly, cramped ghetto along with the rest of Warsaw’s surviving Jews. Determined to fight back against the brutal Nazis, the beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the ghetto to protect her fellow Jews. But her dangerous circumstances grow complicated when she falls in love with Aleksander, an ally in resistance—and Jakub’s brother. While Lena accomplishes amazing feats of bravery, she sacrifices much in the process.

Over a decade after escaping the horrors of the ghetto, Bina, now known as Lena, rises to fame in Hollywood. Yet she cannot help but be reminded of her old life and hungers for revenge against the Nazis who escaped justice after the war. Her power and fame as a movie star offer Lena the chance to right the past’s wrongs . . . and perhaps even find the happy ending she never had.

Out on May 21

This book was gripping from the start and I this was so unputdownable. Actress Lena Browning made a huge name for herself in movies, so much so an up and coming actress wants to make a movie about Lena's life. Not knowing how dark Lena's past was - she was formerly known as Bina, a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw ghetto during the Holocaust. How Bina survived was often times horrific, but war is a horrific thing. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for a chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 4.5/5

When Sienna Hayes, Hollywood’s current It Girl, acts upon her ambitions to work behind the camera as a director, she meets Lena Browning, the famous Golden Age movie star, in order to convince her to allow Sierra to direct and star in a biopic of Lena’s life. Lena agrees, but has a few stipulations of her own, first and foremost being that the movie depicts her entire life accurately, including her buried past as a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto after her parents were killed by the Nazis, along with a few other secrets and lies she has told in the pursuit of justice.

I went into this one in the mood for a WWII historical fiction book, having not had too much luck truly getting into some from other eras in history, so going back to the source of my love for historical fiction seemed like a good idea. I love the structure of historical fiction books like this, where the story starts closer to the end than the beginning, then we go back to the beginning to catch us up. In this case, I do kind of wish that there were a few more uses of this dual timeline, since the story is actually told pretty linearly, past the prologue. Especially in the case of this story, with so many plot twists and secret plans, I think it could have been told in dual timelines to a greater impact. But I don’t want to take away too much from how engrossing this book was. Bina’s life was such a page turner, and I loved how even once you felt like you knew where the story was going at the end, you’re still in for a few more surprises. This was a great historical fiction book, and I recommend it to all lovers of the genre!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperperennial for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

What an amazing book! This is seriously one of the best books I've ever read about World War II and the Holocaust specifically -- and one of the most unique as it focuses on one woman's will to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto, and then on her life after the war. The book shifts between time periods, beginning in 2005 with Lena Browning, a famous actress, working with a younger (yet still famous) actress on a movie about her life. Lena goes back in time and tells of her survival in the Warsaw Ghetto which mainly takes place through her work fighting against the Nazis. Some of her story was so painful and difficult to read. It was dark and depressing, but so were those times. Sometimes people ask me why I read about these sort of things, and I feel that it is important to so that we don't forget what happened in the recent past, so it is not repeated, and so the humanity and memory of those who were lost is not erased.

Lena (born Bina Blonski) was fierce, dedicated to saving herself and her people, and stopped at nothing. During the war she made hard choices about who to save, how to protect herself, and dealt with many ethical questions along the way. To her surprise, some of that continued after the war. And this is where my ethical questions come in. Were Lena's actions once she emigrated to the United States, erased her history, and started over justified? Her reinvention certainly was -- but was her vow for justice? I understand her desire (as much as possible, given that I've never lost my family and everything I have in such an evil manner), but I question the outcome.

That being said, this was a remarkable book and definitely worth the read. It is so well written -- the tension just flows off the page. It is hard to put down, and will keep you thinking about the story whenever you have to go back to reality. This excellent book touches on every human emotion. It is a lovely book, a tough read, and well worth your time. I'll have to read more of Lisa Barr's work.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The story opens in 2005 with legendary actress Lena Browning, telling her dark, daring past to an actress who wants to star in and direct a biopic about Lena. It then flashes forward to Lena’s time in the Warsaw Ghetto.

There, Bina Blonski as she was known at the time, narrates a story of persistence and sacrifice within the Ghetto walls. Torn between two brothers and with an instinct for survival, Bina uses her Arayan looks and skills as an actress to work for the resistance.

Eventually, the story returns to 2005 and post-war Hollywood where we learn how Bina became Lena and how Lena has always continued the fight against those who seek her annihilation.

Why I Love It: This is the best story I’ve ever read about the Holocaust because it depicts Jewish people, particularly women, as fierce fighters determined to prove their right to exist. I was inspired and awed by both the writing and the characters.

I laughed, cried, screamed in frustration, and was on the edge of my seat throughout. The tension was so high at times I found myself fidgeting, walking around, and wringing my hands. I’ll be recommending this book for years to come. It’s an absolute must-read.

The best way to describe this book is 'Evelyn Hugo meets The Book of Lost Names with elements of Hamilton sprinkled in (Angelica stepping aside for her Eliza... you'll see). I liked this book but I hate to admit that it also felt a little disjointed for me - there was just so much going on and most of it seemed highly implausible. I just couldn't feel totally invested in this book and I can't put my finger on why - perhaps if we got to know the characters a little better in the beginning I would have felt more connected to them, but it just quickly jumped into Bina pining for her brother in law, which in my mind played too strong of a role considering everything going on around them.

There were definitely aspects I liked though - who wouldn't appreciate a female Jewish resistance fighter turned actress who goes on to hunt Nazis after the war?! There was a lot to unpack in this book and the ending was wild - definitely a different take on a WWII historical fiction novel and I'm definitely not sad I read it. I also liked that it touched on Operation Paperclip, something I learned of when I read Kelly Rimmer's 'The German Wife' so I was intrigued when it made an appearance in this book as well. Overall a solid WWII historical fiction, I just wish I felt more feelings.

This is the best piece of Holocaust Historical Fiction I've read. Lisa Barr completely knocks it out of the park. It is gripping and horrifying (as any book set during the Holocaust should be). It centers Jewish voices and highlights Jewish resistance. This was a hard read, particularly given the current rise in antisemitism worldwide. And, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. FIVE STARS.

Barr takes us from Hollywood to Warsaw and back again, highlighting the courage and perseverance of her heroine Lena Browning. And Lena is quite the FMC to root for. Early on Lena describes herself: "Let's be clear. I am not a star. I am a comet--a ball of gas, rock, and debris camouflaged in a spray of light."

In a world filled with so much hate toward Jews this quote really resonated with me:

"Scared? Hah! Fear is the heart of the whole damn story, young lady. I learned long ago that the secret to fighting back is to become empowered. If you run on fear, you lose, period."

Yes, times are scary. But thanks to Barr's powerful words I'll continue to remind myself to be a comet, to channel fear into empowerment, to make this world a better place.

Thank you, Lisa, for this story. For bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. For amplifying the voices of heroic Jews who stood up to hate.

This is a fast moving historical fiction novel that packs in many horrific scenes of Nazi abuse during the siege of the Warsaw Ghetto and eventual exterimination of the Jewish population trapped in the area. We meet an actress Bina Blonski who can pass for Aryan and uses her sexuality and appearance to smuggle in food and supplies. Bina also uses sex as a weapon to get what she wants. The first half of the book takes place in the ghetto and Lisa Barr packs in scene after scene of death and misery. What is odd that Bina is in love with her husband's brother which becomes an adjacent storyline with snapshots of soft erotica. Moving ahead to the 1950s, Bina has escaped and re-invents herself as Lena Browning, a legendary It Girl in Hollywood. The novel moves fast and readers may have to suspend disbelief when details of clothing and makeup scrounged up in the ghetto are countered with murders. The writing is cinematic and could be a candidate for a television mini-series.

Goddess of Warsaw follows Lena Browning, a renown Hollywood actress who is finally ready to reveal her secrets to the world as her life is drawing to a close. Because unbeknownst to everyone Lena is actually Bina Blonski, survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, daughter, wife, lover, actress and assassin. And before her time is done Bina has one more starring role to play

This book felt like a brutal, but necessary read given the continuous rise in antisemitism in the US and around the world. It is clear that Lisa has done her research well when it came to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the conditions in the ghetto prior to the rising. The book isn’t gory, but it doesn’t have to be to make the reader break out into chills. Through Bina, we see what a person might be willing to do if everything they valued and saw as integral to their identity has been stripped from them. As the reader, we see the incredible courage of ordinary people in impossible circumstances. We see those who would become righteous of the nations in the characters of Stach and Petra. But in reading the Goddess of Warsaw and seeing Bina abused and taken advantage of by those who had once been her neighbors I felt like I was truly getting an answer to the question of how those living near Auschwitz could have claimed ignorance.

Goddess of Warsaw not only captures the horrors of the Holocaust, but also the scars carried by survivors long after the war was over. It also touches on a major stain in US history ie its acceptance of Nazi scientists after the war.

If you are looking to understand both the seeds and the horrors of the Holocaust, have a box of tissues near by, but please pick up this book

I just finished “The Goddess of Warsaw” by Lisa Barr and all I can say is Wow! I save 5 Star reviews for the best of the best and this is one that I will remember for a long time.
The book is a WW2 Historical Fiction about Bina Blonski a polish jew who after the war fled to Hollywood and became the “it girl” known as Lena Browning. As the story opens she is near the end of her life and is being interviewed by a young actress who wants to tell her true story and also portray her in a movie. We learn intimately about what it took to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto during the nazi occupation. The intensity of the events of her life caused every emotion I had to surface and has given me new admiration for everyone who survived and the unimaginable heroic efforts of those who lost their lives. While I have read many books about this time in history I have never read one like this!
Thank you Ms.Barr for your exceptional prose and for telling this story, I know it could not have been easy to get it on paper but it’s a story that must be told!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Survival is not heroic; it is ugly. All those things you would never do in a normal, moral, refined life is now your only way of life” Before Lena Browning was Hollywood’s leading lady and “it girl” She was Bina Blonksi, from a wealthy Jewish Polish Family. Her family was destroyed by the Nazis and she was sent to the Warsaw Ghetto where she was imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw’s Jewish population. Bina used her blond Aryan looks to become a spy and an assassin. She finds herself having to make impossible choices for her own survival and the survival of those she loves. Barr draws you in with her well developed and layered characters. I couldn’t put this book down.

Fantastic book. As would be expected,based on the topic, parts are very hard to read. I am also very curious if this is a novel or historical fiction. It is being described as historical fiction but I’m thinking that is just based on the Warsaw ghetto uprising and not based on the characters. I am hoping that once it is released we will learn more about that. I highly recommend this book. Great characters, good twists even if at times they are a bit far fetched and very well written.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow. Just Wow. Easily one of the best books I have read this year, Lisa Barr is easily and quickly becoming one of my favorite new authors! I loved the main character, Bina Blonski, and could imagine myself being her friend! Her courage was inspiring and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to learn her story and to see what she would do next. Thrilling, heartbreaking, and wonderful, I am so grateful to have been able to read this as an ARC, and my hardcover copy is already pre-ordered. I highly recommend this book to everyone!

“You’re either with us or against us.”

What a story! This is a side to WWII that I have not read yet and devoured this book so fast. It’s Unputdownable! Hollywood actress Lena Browning finally wants her whole story told including her previous life in Poland and what she had to do to survive and help the cause and prevent the same heinous crimes happening in Los Angeles many years later


Thanks to the author and publisher for my arc. I highly recommend this book.

Wow, this was INCREDIBLE. The story was captivating, the writing was exquisite and the story being told important. I loved that although the Warsaw Uprising was well written and well researched, the story did not feel overly academic. At times I forgot I was reading historical fiction as I became so wrapped up in the characters and their lives. I absolutely LOVED that the story starts in the present day and tells the story of an old Hollywood Star. Before her fame, she was a young jewish woman in poland, whose family was destroyed by the Nazi Regime. In order to survive, she becomes a spy and assassin who helps with the Warsaw Rising. Easily one of the BEST books that I have read all year. A must read.

Thank you Netgalley for my advanced reader copy.

this is a contender for my top book of 2024! at first i was scared that it was trying to be the seven husbands of evelyn hugo (there was even a subtle nod to it in the first chapter) since it's about an aging hollywood star being interviewed by a young actress (in this case) that wants to tell their "real life story". thankfully it ended up being it's own unique story with so many moments that literally made my jaw drop! it's obviously a book with many heavy themes as it details bina's life from the warsaw ghetto during WWII, and the way she survived, through her time as a leading lady in hollywood. it's beautifully written and bina is such a powerful main character, i can't recommend this book enough!

cw: sexual assault, heavy themes

thanks to netgalley and harper perennial for my advance copy of the goddess of warsaw by lisa barr. all opinions are my own.

Lisa Barr’s latest novel is an intense and epic ode to the fighters of the Warsaw ghetto and an inspiring piece of WWII fiction.

Set in three different time periods, the Goddess Of Warsaw follows the life of Bina Blonski, a Jewish woman who escaped Nazi-occupied Poland in the 1940s and became an icon of the silver screen in 1950s Hollywood. Now nearing the end of her life, Bina recounts the harrowing memories of her time in the Warsaw Ghetto during the war and her heroic efforts to fight the Third Reich.

Poignant, violent, touching, and rousing, The Goddess of Warsaw is a supremely entertaining and important reminder of the past and the responsibility we have to ensure it is not repeated.

This started a little slow for me but over time I came to enjoy this a lot. The personal story of Bina and all that she went through was a story that really lets the reader imagine what that awful time was like. And the possibility that even today that monsters still exist in the world makes you really think about the world.

I recommend this book. While I’ve read a lot of books recently about that time in history, each one brings a different story to light, stories that deserve to be told and not forgotten. We are to learn from History. This book helps one learn.

As I experienced the story, I found myself immersed in a whirlwind of emotions, completely unprepared for the profound impact it would have on me. Initially, I wasn't expecting to be moved on such a deep level, especially considering my lack of religious inclination. Yet, despite this, the narrative gripped me with its raw sensitivity, leaving me reeling with every twist and turn.

At times, the intensity of the events depicted made me question my own mortality, as I empathized deeply with the struggles faced by the characters. The emotional turmoil they experienced resonated with me on a personal level, evoking a myriad of feelings that I found difficult to shake. There were moments when I felt as though I was experiencing their pain and despair firsthand, and I must admit, there were occasions when I, too, contemplated the notion of escaping it all.

As the story progressed, I found solace in the beautifully crafted prose and expertly woven plotlines of the second part. While perhaps not as emotionally taxing as the initial chapters, the richness of the writing drew me in, providing a welcome respite from the intensity of the preceding events. I found myself eagerly turning each page, eager to discover what fate had in store for the characters I had grown to care for deeply.

Yet, as the story drew to a close, I couldn't help but feel a twinge of disappointment at the journey leading up to the conclusion. As someone who struggles with forgiveness, I found the path taken to reach the end to be somewhat challenging for my taste. Nevertheless, my admiration for the story remained unwavering. Its ability to evoke such a wide range of emotions within me is a testament to its power and impact.

While the journey to the end may not have been exactly to my liking, I thoroughly enjoyed the conclusion and the story as a whole. It is a testament to the skill of the author that I was able to overlook my own reservations appreciate the story for what it truly was—a poignant and thought-provoking exploration of the human condition.

This is not a story that leaves you.

Lisa Barr captures every nuance in this compelling dual-timeline story of a Polish Jewish femme fatale. From heroine Bina's courageous resistance against the Nazis in the Warsaw Ghetto to her transformation into a captivating Hollywood star with a secret, shadowy history, Barr's storytelling hits all the right notes.

This work is masterfully crafted, delivering suspense in a manner that is both captivating and worthy of every ounce of praise. It illuminates the horrors endured in Poland during WWII and the unwavering resolve required to either survive or face death with dignity.

I haven't cried this hard in quite some time. And in a book full of heinous acts against humanity, the ending is one of the most beautiful, fulfilling ones I've ever read.