A review by dsweber
The Goddess of Warsaw by Lisa Barr

adventurous challenging dark emotional hopeful informative inspiring reflective sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.5

I don’t read WWII historical fiction. Not if I can help it. It’s not a hard and fast rule. It’s just… life is hard enough, and I don’t particularly like remembering that time, especially from the perspective of a Jewish character. That said, it is more important than ever to remember and learn from history so we don’t repeat it. 

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

When my aunt recommended this book, I went into it blind. I had no idea what it was about, and it was framed a little bit like the Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo. A beautiful and famous aging actress is hesitant to tell her life story to a young Hollywood starlet who wants to turn her life into a movie. And then as a reader, you’re immediately pulled in as Lena Browning reveals that she isn’t who anyone thinks she is - she’s a cold-blooded killer. We are immediately transported back to wartime Warsaw, where she did anything and everything to survive as a Jew in the midst of Nazi-ruled Poland. 

This book is upsetting, gripping, and takes you on a twisty journey you’ll never see coming. I know some people hate a framing device because it removes the suspense - we know Lena survived to tell the tale. But for me, it didn’t take away from the story at all in this case. It was so well-told, and many of my frustrations throughout the story are resolved beautifully in the end. I highly recommend this if you’re willing to endure a serious and heavy topic.