We Must Not Think of Ourselves
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- Create Date：2023-11-28 04:21:31
- Update Date：2025-09-07
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- Author：Lauren Grodstein
- ISBN：1643752340
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Summary
“This book is a masterpiece: profound， gripping， urgent， and beautiful。” —Madeline Miller， New York Times bestselling author of Circe and The Song of Achilles
A heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto， based on the actual archives kept by thosedetermined to have their stories survive World War II
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， and await an uncertain fate。 Weeks later， he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Will 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 readers 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 for the many fans of literary World War II fiction such as Kristin Harmel’s The Book of Lost Names and Lauren Fox’s Send for Me。
A heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto， based on the actual archives kept by thosedetermined to have their stories survive World War II
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， and await an uncertain fate。 Weeks later， he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising request: Will 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 readers 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 for the many fans of literary World War II fiction such as Kristin Harmel’s The Book of Lost Names and Lauren Fox’s Send for Me。
Reviews
Terry
，
Six million Jews killed。 This is why I read books about the Holocaust， both fiction and nonfiction。 This is why I think it's important that people worldwide read these books。 Horrors still occur， unfortunately， but nothing to the unprecedented level that occurred during World War II。 So when I had the opportunity to read We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein， I did so gladly。 Our narrator is Adam Paskow， a Jew forced to move from his Warsaw apartment to the Jewish Ghetto in November Six million Jews killed。 This is why I read books about the Holocaust， both fiction and nonfiction。 This is why I think it's important that people worldwide read these books。 Horrors still occur， unfortunately， but nothing to the unprecedented level that occurred during World War II。 So when I had the opportunity to read We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein， I did so gladly。 Our narrator is Adam Paskow， a Jew forced to move from his Warsaw apartment to the Jewish Ghetto in November of 1940。 Not long after his arrival， he begins teaching an English class for Jewish children in a basement， and not longer after that， he is approached by a mysterious man with an interesting request: Interview people living in the ghetto and write their stories。 Adam learns about people's struggles， memories， daydreams， passions， etc。Most importantly， this project is based upon a real one， called Oneg Shabbat。 These interviews， combined with Adam's story， are what give this book its substance。 The characters are vivid and realistic， and the reader's heart will ache for them and the choices they are forced to make and the things they must do in order to survive。 The story is told by Adam in its entirety， and thus there is never any confusion as to what is occurring。 It is a straightforward tale about a people experiencing unimaginable hardships， written in beautiful， easily understood writing。There is also a love story contained within the pages。 While it does allow the reader brief moments of relief from some of the terrible things occurring， in my opinion， it was not necessary to the tale。 I truly believe Adam would have made the same choices regardless。 Ultimately， the romance neither adds to nor detracts from the story。 However， it may be a definite bonus to the story for some readers。This book is a must-read for fans of historical fiction， especially those who enjoy reading books set during World War II。 Many thanks to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for making this book available to me。 The opinions above are 100% my own。 。。。more
Rhonda Lomazow
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Historical fiction at its best a story of Ww2 of life in the Warsaw Ghetto。The people we are introduced to come alive and you can feel the danger there in due to being Jewish during the war。A story that will stay with me an author to follow。#netgalley #algonquinbooks。
Louise Foerster
，
Lauren Grodstein's WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES is exceptional。 In the story of the Warsaw Ghetto， Grodstein's vivid prose and spot-on dialogue brings to life a story of love， courage， betrayal， hardship， the unthinkable and unforgettable large and small events。 The settings and the moments were wonderfully drawn and the characters so engaging and believable， I felt totally immersed in a little known and understood reality we brushed by when studying history。 I will never forget this book， ill Lauren Grodstein's WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES is exceptional。 In the story of the Warsaw Ghetto， Grodstein's vivid prose and spot-on dialogue brings to life a story of love， courage， betrayal， hardship， the unthinkable and unforgettable large and small events。 The settings and the moments were wonderfully drawn and the characters so engaging and believable， I felt totally immersed in a little known and understood reality we brushed by when studying history。 I will never forget this book， illuminating our current times while telling a story of long ago。 A beautiful， important book。 I received a copy of this book and these opinions are my own， unbiased thoughts。 。。。more
Erin
，
3。5 stars - Historical fiction books set during the Holocaust are often difficult to review。 The subject matter is so sensitive and tragic and it has been written about so much in recent years。 However， it’s still such a rich setting for novels， so I think it’s important to keep reading these books and critiquing them appropriately。“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” （written by Lauren Grodstein） follows Adam Paskow， a Polish Jew who ends up being tasked with the job of archiving people’s experienc 3。5 stars - Historical fiction books set during the Holocaust are often difficult to review。 The subject matter is so sensitive and tragic and it has been written about so much in recent years。 However， it’s still such a rich setting for novels， so I think it’s important to keep reading these books and critiquing them appropriately。“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” （written by Lauren Grodstein） follows Adam Paskow， a Polish Jew who ends up being tasked with the job of archiving people’s experiences in the Warsaw ghetto。 The character is fictional， but is based on a real-life group called Oneg Shabbat who had the goal to preserve and document the lives of the Jewish people in the ghetto during that time。 Paskow interviews several people during his time there （mostly his friends and housemates） to try to understand them better and to have a record of their stories。 The story also covers Adam’s life with his wife， Kasia， who died before the war even began and his current fight to survive while so many Jews were dying around him。I felt like the book really came alive when Adam was interviewing people。 Everyone’s stories were heartfelt and depicted what life was like for many Polish Jews before and during the war。 I did feel like there was a bit too much back and forth with time periods though – every time there was a scene about Adam’s wife or his life before the war， I felt disconnected from the story。 I was also disappointed in how little closure there was for many characters – the book ended abruptly too。 I would have loved some kind of epilogue that described the fate of all of the characters， Adam especially。 I understand that for many people the Holocaust caused this kind of uncertainty – people didn’t always know what fate befell their neighbors or friends。 But as a reader， I was left wondering too much for the story to feel satisfying in the end。Grodstein is a very capable writer， especially when she’s depicting heartbreaking scenes of violence or inhumanity。 These scenes were written with the right amount of shock and horror （and even respect for the victims）。 I just wish there had been more of a focus on the interviews and the Oneg Shabbat project and less scenes set in Adam’s past。 Tying up those loose ends also would have made this novel more successful in my eyes。*Free ARC provided by Netgalley and the publisher in exchange for an honest review* 。。。more
Janalyn Prude
，
Adam Pascale was a 40-year-old childless widow a professor of languages and he was sent to the Warsaw ghetto by his Catholic father-in-law… For his own good。 When he first arrived he had ideas about his self and although a non-practicing Jew he was a Jewish man still and all。 he would stay in a one bedroom flat with the whisk off family in another family of four making them nine people in a little bitty flat but they may do and got along。 One day while teaching a man name Emmanuel Ringelblum。 As Adam Pascale was a 40-year-old childless widow a professor of languages and he was sent to the Warsaw ghetto by his Catholic father-in-law… For his own good。 When he first arrived he had ideas about his self and although a non-practicing Jew he was a Jewish man still and all。 he would stay in a one bedroom flat with the whisk off family in another family of four making them nine people in a little bitty flat but they may do and got along。 One day while teaching a man name Emmanuel Ringelblum。 Asked Adam to become the eyes and ears of the Warsaw ghetto and make a record without opinion of everything he sees。 He takes time to do interviews with his flatmates his students but what he doesn’t record is how much he misses his wife Cassia and his blooming feelings for the wife of one of his flat mates Sala and how horrible things are getting。 When brought to the ghetto he took as many valuables as he could and slowly but surely so as not to starve to death he pawns everything but the last thing is the most precious and can bring him the biggest reward but by the time this happens Adam although having sold everything will be leaving the one thing that brought him happiness while living the hell that he did。 This was a really good book I loved how with his interviews not only did they mainly serve a historical purpose but also gave voice to those who thought they had nothing to say this was a horrible time in our history and I’ve never heard of this project before and I am a big fan of reading eyewitness accounts of historical events so will definitely look more into this。 There’s way more to this Book then my review states and I believe books helps broaden our perspective and let’s us see how similar we are as opposed to being different in this book certainly does that。 I want to thank Algonquin and Net Galley for my free arc copy please forgive any mistakes I am blind and dictate my review。 project 。。。more
Nikki
，
We Must Not Think of Ourselves tells the story of Adam Paskow， who is recruited by the Oneg Shabbat just months after being relocated to a shared apartment in Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto。 Emanuel Ringelblum， the group’s leader， explains to Adam that his assignment is to record “all the details， even if they seem insignificant。 I don’t want you to decide what’s significant。 。 。 。 Our task is to pay attention。 To listen to the stories。”So Adam begins to conduct interviews with his flatmates as well as We Must Not Think of Ourselves tells the story of Adam Paskow， who is recruited by the Oneg Shabbat just months after being relocated to a shared apartment in Warsaw’s Jewish ghetto。 Emanuel Ringelblum， the group’s leader， explains to Adam that his assignment is to record “all the details， even if they seem insignificant。 I don’t want you to decide what’s significant。 。 。 。 Our task is to pay attention。 To listen to the stories。”So Adam begins to conduct interviews with his flatmates as well as with children from the English class he teaches。 Acting as something of a Greek chorus， these voices vacillate between the mundane， the macabre and occasional moments of joy， demonstrating how the community doggedly clings to any semblance of normalcy。 We come to see that， for Adam and all the Jews stripped of their rights and freedoms， it is an act of resistance to simply persist in the business of daily living and continue to enjoy simple pleasures wherever they may be found。Adam also transcribes his own life story， musing not only on his increasingly bleak present reality but also his life before the war， when he worked at a prestigious school and was happily married until his wife’s tragic death。 Though he believes the great love of his life is behind him， we witness Adam slowly form a romantic connection with Sala， a married mother with whom he now shares cramped living quarters。 Their mutual attachment transforms their time in the ghetto into something more than survival。*Special thanks to NetGalley and Hachette Audio for this audio e-arc。* 。。。more
Angela
，
i enjoy a good historical fiction。 this was an interesting take on the holocaust in the Warsaw GhettoA heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto， based on the actual archives kept by those determined to have their stories survive World War IIOn 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， and await an uncertain fate。 Weeks later， he is approach i enjoy a good historical fiction。 this was an interesting take on the holocaust in the Warsaw GhettoA heart-wrenching story of love and defiance set in the Warsaw Ghetto， based on the actual archives kept by those determined to have their stories survive World War IIOn 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， and await an uncertain fate。 Weeks later， he is approached by a mysterious figure with a surprising Will 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。。 。。。more
Dawn
，
This book was a perfect story of no good choices。 Inspired by true events， Lauren Grodstein has written a thoughtful and heartbreaking story about Oneg Shabbat， testimony gathering。 I really enjoy historical fiction， especially when based on true people and events， however， I've not read anything set in the Ghettos during WWII。 This book was heartbreaking yet thought provoking。 Stories like this must be written， shared and remembered。 Thanks #NetGalley #AlgonquinBooks This book was a perfect story of no good choices。 Inspired by true events， Lauren Grodstein has written a thoughtful and heartbreaking story about Oneg Shabbat， testimony gathering。 I really enjoy historical fiction， especially when based on true people and events， however， I've not read anything set in the Ghettos during WWII。 This book was heartbreaking yet thought provoking。 Stories like this must be written， shared and remembered。 Thanks #NetGalley #AlgonquinBooks 。。。more
hillary
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 Thank you NetGalley for the eARC。Reading books set during the Holocaust is always tough。 This took me a while to get into， because it was （of course） such a grim premise。 But once I started to dive into the story， I was captivated。 The book does a great job of illustrating how it felt to live in the Warsaw Ghetto。 The initial hopefulness for things to end as soon as the war shifts， followed by the slow descent into despair。 The characters become hungrier， more desperate， and more numb over time。 Thank you NetGalley for the eARC。Reading books set during the Holocaust is always tough。 This took me a while to get into， because it was （of course） such a grim premise。 But once I started to dive into the story， I was captivated。 The book does a great job of illustrating how it felt to live in the Warsaw Ghetto。 The initial hopefulness for things to end as soon as the war shifts， followed by the slow descent into despair。 The characters become hungrier， more desperate， and more numb over time。 By the time you get to the trains at the end， the pacing was well done enough that you can sympathize with the desperate residents who willingly line up for the promise of increased rations。The book also grapples with the idea of what makes a "good" person。 These characters are in an impossible situation and make due with what they can。 No one is perfectly innocent， which makes the characters feel more vivid。 Speaking of which， characterization is another thing I felt was done well。 You slowly learn more about the characters through Adam's interviews and his thoughts; two perspectives that offer a more complete picture。 You see how they each react to their circumstances， and flourish or flounder。 I find that most books make children annoyingly precocious or indistinguishable from one another， but this book does a nice job of showing how each child is different。 Some of the character endings were easy to see coming， but how could you not see how things would end for those making riskier moves？ My only disappointment was where the story ended。 On one hand， it ended at the perfect time: the point of hope。 What happens after is open-ended enough for the reader to dream something up。 On the other hand， I felt the impetus for the ending happened so fast， and I wanted to linger a bit more with the characters before saying goodbye。 I wouldn't mind a little epilogue， or a sequel set in the future from the perspective of one of the boys。 Overall， a good read for anyone interested in historical fiction from this time period。 。。。more
Katherine Herrera
，
Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel。 An incredibly moving book based on the Oneg Shabbat archives from the Warsaw Ghetto， which I had not heard of before I read this book。 A rabbi tasked particular residents to create a record of life in the ghetto， including the testimonies of other residents。 The records of those interviews were buried in milk cans and later dug up after the war。 This is a fictionalized account of an English teacher who is tasked with interviewing residents for the Thanks to NetGalley for the eARC of this novel。 An incredibly moving book based on the Oneg Shabbat archives from the Warsaw Ghetto， which I had not heard of before I read this book。 A rabbi tasked particular residents to create a record of life in the ghetto， including the testimonies of other residents。 The records of those interviews were buried in milk cans and later dug up after the war。 This is a fictionalized account of an English teacher who is tasked with interviewing residents for the archive， largely his students and some of their parents。 The fictional interviews of the children and his interactions with them in the classroom provide a timeline of their lives and dreams and concerns before and after the ghetto。 The English poetry taught in the classroom， as refracted through their current lives， appears frivolous and calls up much deeper moral questions to children who have become the essential black market traders that keep their families alive， or what is left of them。 The adults in the ghetto seem less resilient， hanging onto logic when there is none and maintaining habits to little purpose。 A vivid portrait of a short， exceptionally brutal period of history that does justice to the people who lived it。 。。。more
Cindy
，
We Must Not Think of Ourselves， by Lauren Grodstein， tells the horrific story of the entrapment of Warsaw's large Jewish population in a tiny portion of the city， and subsequently starved， degraded， and systematically exterminated the vast majority of them。 Grodstein's protagonist， Adam Paskow， is an English teacher， and may be modeled on one of the major real contributors to Emanuel Ringelblum's actual Oneg Shabbat Archives。 Only three of the contributors survived the total destruction of the G We Must Not Think of Ourselves， by Lauren Grodstein， tells the horrific story of the entrapment of Warsaw's large Jewish population in a tiny portion of the city， and subsequently starved， degraded， and systematically exterminated the vast majority of them。 Grodstein's protagonist， Adam Paskow， is an English teacher， and may be modeled on one of the major real contributors to Emanuel Ringelblum's actual Oneg Shabbat Archives。 Only three of the contributors survived the total destruction of the Ghetto。 This is a well-written novel that tries very hard to avoid trivializing or sanitizing this historical hell。 The characters are as realistic as we might imagine them to be。 Nonetheless， an unnecessary and improbable romance was at best distracting。 My real objection to this story is that it ends abruptly and too early。 There is no mention of Jewish resistance or the Uprising which ultimately failed。 However， it disconcerted the Nazis and forced them to concentrate resources。 More it importantly， it sparked resistance in other camps and ghettos。 Thank you to NetGalley and Algonquin Books for allowing me to read a digital ARC。 。。。more
Doreen Prentiss Gabriellini
，
“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” by Lauren Grodstein tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of Adam Paskow， a young widower and Teacher。 The book takes place when the Jews were being rounded up and placed in the ghetto of Warsaw， Poland。 Adam becomes a part of a secret archival project code named Oneg Shabbat。 I was interested to learn that Oneg Shabbat is an actual group of people who preserved and collected the stories of the inhabitants of the Warsaw ghetto。 I was very interest “We Must Not Think of Ourselves” by Lauren Grodstein tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of Adam Paskow， a young widower and Teacher。 The book takes place when the Jews were being rounded up and placed in the ghetto of Warsaw， Poland。 Adam becomes a part of a secret archival project code named Oneg Shabbat。 I was interested to learn that Oneg Shabbat is an actual group of people who preserved and collected the stories of the inhabitants of the Warsaw ghetto。 I was very interested to learn about this aspect of history。 I did not know that the Oneg Shabbat existed。 The creation of the Oneg Shabbat was the preservation of people’s stories knowing they would not likely survive long enough to tell the stories themselves。 The book reads like a journal entry。 Unfortunately for me the story fell flat for so many reasons。 While this particular time and place in history is heartbreaking， the author did not use the opportunity for the reader to feel anything。 There were so many parts of the story where you wondered how they got food， clothing， etc。 Things just shows up because someone smuggled it。 How did they get these things， what risks did they take， how hungry were they？ While the main character is a Jew he is not a practicing one。 He has no drive and simply accepts things as they happen。 The reader see’s Adam teaching students and gleaning information for the Oneg Shabbat。 That is it。 The lack of detail is one of my biggest complaints。 This is a compelling historical moment and the characters were not dimensional。 There was no bond between the reader and the characters。 The title even leads the reader to believe that there is depth to this novel。 I would like to thank Algonquin Books and NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review。 。。。more
ReadingTilTheBreakOfDawn
，
When books come out that are centered around WWII， I usually am drawn to them。While We Must Not Think of Ourselves is set during WWII， it was a little unique from the other books I've read on the subject matter as it was not set in a concentration camp， but rather a ghetto。 An open air prison， if you will （sound familiar？）。 Adam is an English teacher who is widowed and is tasked to write about the people of the ghetto。 Interviewing them about their lives before the ghetto while seeing how they l When books come out that are centered around WWII， I usually am drawn to them。While We Must Not Think of Ourselves is set during WWII， it was a little unique from the other books I've read on the subject matter as it was not set in a concentration camp， but rather a ghetto。 An open air prison， if you will （sound familiar？）。 Adam is an English teacher who is widowed and is tasked to write about the people of the ghetto。 Interviewing them about their lives before the ghetto while seeing how they live now。 These people are being memorialized before they even really knew what was to come。 I liked this concept for the book， but it also fell a little flat in the fact that I never got to truly know the characters besides a little of their pasts。Adam was forced out of his apartment and made to live in another apartment with other families。 While there he does his interviews and falls in love with another man's wife。 All this while living a life without many of life's necessities。 Life is hard and children are forced to smuggle， steal and barter for their families in order to have food put on the table。 The stories that Adam gets to hear about really humanizes the people of the Ghetto and is a reminder that they ARE Humans and deserve so much more。 I feel like that was the heart of the story。 The "diary entries" of each person was just that。 A telling of what had happened to them in the past。 It made you see that they were there and they were people。 Not random families all forced to live in squalor in small apartments with strangers。 In that respect， we got to live an experience that these people could only remember。 I just didn't feel fully connected to anyone because it seemed very base level。 Just being told what was going on。 I wanted more of what was happening on the outside。 But the parts we got were just before concentration camps and we were getting just a taste of the violence they experienced at the hands of evil。Overall， this was a good story， but I felt disconnected from most characters besides Adam。 I wish we could've gone deeper with the people he lived with in the apartment， but we did get to feel that these people were worth more than they were given。 A promising story that could've pushed further。 3。5 stars。 。。。more
Alyson Stone
，
Book: We Must Not Think of Ourselves Author: Lauren Grodstein Rating: 2 Out of 5 StarsI would like to thank the publisher， Algonquin Books， for sending me an ARC。 This is another one of those cases where it’s not the book， but me。 I did truly want to like this one， but I could not get into it。 It was missing something that made it impossible for me to create any kind of a bond with both the characters and the plot， which is heartbreaking。 This is a Holocaust story and it should have torn me in t Book: We Must Not Think of Ourselves Author: Lauren Grodstein Rating: 2 Out of 5 StarsI would like to thank the publisher， Algonquin Books， for sending me an ARC。 This is another one of those cases where it’s not the book， but me。 I did truly want to like this one， but I could not get into it。 It was missing something that made it impossible for me to create any kind of a bond with both the characters and the plot， which is heartbreaking。 This is a Holocaust story and it should have torn me in two， but it didn’t。 This one is set in the heart of the Warsaw ghetto。 We follow Adam， who is a teacher and has been tasked with recording the lives and struggles of those who live in the ghetto。 While the stories in this book are fiction， they are based on actual people， which should have added a hard punch。 As Adam starts to speak to people， he learns about their past， hopes， and dreams。 The story is hopeful， as people believe that their situation can only improve and not get any worse。 It’s about finding strength in a world that has only kept knocking them down。 This setup should have brought us the terror and uncertainty that people living in the ghetto were going through。 Yet， it felt like the author was going through the motions of merely telling the story instead of letting it hit us as it should。 Instead of letting us see what these people are going through， we are told about it。 Now， I have not read the source material， so maybe the way Lauren describes it in the book is how it is in the original content。 Things are bad and people are holding onto hope。 It’s what we do。 However， we are only told that people are starving and the Nazi solider cause fear。 We don’t get to see the actions and see the how and the why。 We are only told。 The idea of staying positive overshadowed the true horrors that these people were going through。 I know everything does not have to be all about the bad， but I feel like if we had gotten a little bit more of that， then the idea of having hope and looking forward would have hit home。 I hate to admit it， but I did have a very difficult time connecting with the characters。 We have these people of great strength who can be a rock in the worst of times， yet there is no connection there。 The characters’ voices did not develop in a way that allowed for them to be their person。 It felt like everyone was the same。 While I am aware that they were all going through the same shared experience， this does not mean that their voices should be the same。 Everyone has different perspectives and experiences when going through something。 It’s why we have so many stories and so many different understandings of the world around us。 This book did not give me that。 I think that had we gotten some little character moments and gotten a lot more detail， the punch with the characters would have been there。 The lack of detail is the biggest reason why I could not get into this one。 I think that had the scenes been developed a little bit more and had the characters’ voices been able to take form， this would have been a five-star read for me。 Yet， those little things that were missing prevented me from having any kind of bond and connection to the story。 It made it seem， to me， that we were merely going through the motions of having a Holocaust story instead of allowing it to hit us as it should。 Overall， this was just a miss for me。 This does not mean that it’s a bad book。 This book comes out on November 28， 2023。 。。。more
Sandy Goguen-Young
，
This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 The holocaust is always a difficult read， but so important to remember。 I am amazed at the resilience in spite of everything that happened。 The story is inspired by true chronicles taken in the ghettos in Warsaw。 I loved all the different prospectives throughout the book。 It flowed easily and a great read。 A great giveaway win。
Leslie Zemeckis
，
Stunning novel about the Warsaw ghetto and one man/teacher’s experiences as he chronicles the lives around him - based on a true organizationSuch a beautiful well written book
Emily
，
Lauren Grodstein’s writing is beautiful while telling a story that is very much not。 I love fictional WWII books， but even knowing they’re fiction doesn’t keep my stomach from churning reading some of the acts committed by Nazis—especially knowing that whatever is written is only a fraction as bad as what actually occurred。 One of the many things I appreciate about We Must Not Think of Ourselves is that it’s a book about survival， but not of happy endings。 This isn’t a feel-good novel that wraps Lauren Grodstein’s writing is beautiful while telling a story that is very much not。 I love fictional WWII books， but even knowing they’re fiction doesn’t keep my stomach from churning reading some of the acts committed by Nazis—especially knowing that whatever is written is only a fraction as bad as what actually occurred。 One of the many things I appreciate about We Must Not Think of Ourselves is that it’s a book about survival， but not of happy endings。 This isn’t a feel-good novel that wraps up with everyone living happily ever after， and yet as a reader I felt a sense of closure so I wasn’t left feeling that the book was incomplete。 There are no shortage of books in this genre， but Grodstein has managed to write a book that stands apart from the rest。 。。。more
Christina Hutt
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I would like to thank NetGalley and Algonquin Books for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion。 First， this was a beautiful and haunting book about the Warsaw Ghetto。 Adam， a teacher who is moving into an apartment his father in law found for him， leaves everything behind and ends up moving into a tiny apartment with two other families。 The tragedies that ensue stayed with me。 HOWEVER， the last ten to twenty pages were not like the rest。 The choice that Adam made towards the en I would like to thank NetGalley and Algonquin Books for allowing me to read this book and give my honest opinion。 First， this was a beautiful and haunting book about the Warsaw Ghetto。 Adam， a teacher who is moving into an apartment his father in law found for him， leaves everything behind and ends up moving into a tiny apartment with two other families。 The tragedies that ensue stayed with me。 HOWEVER， the last ten to twenty pages were not like the rest。 The choice that Adam made towards the end disgusted me and betrayed him as a character。 I finished the book before bed last night and woke up still angry。 Read this book for a history lesson on what happened within the walls of the Warsaw Ghetto but stop reading before last 20 pages。 :（ 。。。more
Jennifer
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After his wife dies， Pan Paskow's father in law sends him to the Warsaw ghetto to live with the other Jewish families。 There he lives with two other families in a small apartment。 This book has a slow beginning， but it did get better as it went along。 Then when it does end， it kind of ends abruptly， without knowing how all of the characters fare。 After his wife dies， Pan Paskow's father in law sends him to the Warsaw ghetto to live with the other Jewish families。 There he lives with two other families in a small apartment。 This book has a slow beginning， but it did get better as it went along。 Then when it does end， it kind of ends abruptly， without knowing how all of the characters fare。 。。。more
Chelsea
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“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” by Lauren Grodstein tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of Adam Paskow， a young widower and English teacher， who becomes involved in a secret archival project code-named Oneg Shabbat。 As the book unfolds， we learn not just more about Adam’s story but， through the interviews he collects， also get insights into the lives of his neighbours and friends both before the war began and during their time in the Ghetto。Based on the true story of a group o “We Must Not Think of Ourselves” by Lauren Grodstein tells the story of the Warsaw Ghetto through the eyes of Adam Paskow， a young widower and English teacher， who becomes involved in a secret archival project code-named Oneg Shabbat。 As the book unfolds， we learn not just more about Adam’s story but， through the interviews he collects， also get insights into the lives of his neighbours and friends both before the war began and during their time in the Ghetto。Based on the true story of a group of people who collected and preserved archives of daily life in the Ghetto， I was fascinated to learn about this aspect of the history of the Warsaw Ghetto that I had been previously unaware of。 As someone who loves spending time in archives and a family historian that relies on the record keepers of previous generations， I have so much respect and admiration for the bravery shown by these individuals who were passionate about preserving their community’s stories knowing that they would likely not live long enough to tell their stories themselves。 In doing research after reading this book， I found out that of the three capsules of archive materials hidden within the Ghetto， only two have ever been found and recovered。I appreciate that this book brought a new perspective to a subsection of historical fiction that can often feel saturated。 In addition to the fast-paced， gripping plot， the writing in this book was very poignant and beautiful with numerous passages where I highlighted quotes that particularly stood out to me。 If you are a reader who seeks out Holocaust/WWII-era stories， I would definitely recommend picking up “We Must Not Think of Ourselves”。*DISCLAIMER: I received an eARC of this book from Algonquin Books through NetGalley for the purposes of providing an unbiased review。* 。。。more
Angela M
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It’s difficult to read Holocaust stories， but that doesn’t keep me from reading them。 It’s always for me so important to remember those who were killed or those who survived the unimaginable。 Everyone should remember， so it doesn’t happen again。 That’s exactly what this book is about - creating a way to remember。 Adam Paskow， an English teacher in the Polish ghetto keeps a diary of people’s stories， their life before， their dreams， to preserve the memories so they are not forgotten。 We meet a va It’s difficult to read Holocaust stories， but that doesn’t keep me from reading them。 It’s always for me so important to remember those who were killed or those who survived the unimaginable。 Everyone should remember， so it doesn’t happen again。 That’s exactly what this book is about - creating a way to remember。 Adam Paskow， an English teacher in the Polish ghetto keeps a diary of people’s stories， their life before， their dreams， to preserve the memories so they are not forgotten。 We meet a variety of characters in Adam’s circle who he interviews。Eleven year old Filip， fascinated by dinosaurs can no longer go to the library to read about them， so he carves them out of wood and stays on the rooftop of the apartment to be away from everyone。 He played football until they kicked him off the team to be “cautious” because he’s Jewish。 This and the other interviews of children and others that Adam records are heartbreaking。 It’s so important to see these people in the light of who they are ， the lives they led to get a grasp of what was lost。 And of course， it’s gut wrenching， as we learn what happens to Szifra， a young woman who does what she needs to do to protect her family， to feed her brothers。 There are other horrific scenes that Adam reflects on as be encounters them in his daily life 。 “I felt myself grow itchier as we walked south， toward their house; there were corpses on the street， covered with newspapers that fluttered in the wind。 We pretended not to see them。 A withered arm， a leg。 On the sidewalk， children begged for scraps of food。 ““This morning。 as I walked through the ghetto for my pail of soup， I saw the Nazis cordoning off a building on Chlodna Street。 On my way back， they were removing its inhabitants at gunpoint， forcing their hands behind their necks。 Even the children。 The ones who stumbled were shot。 The mothers who wailed were shot。” I’m amazed at the resilience that I found here in spite of all that happened。 The novel is based on true archives and some of these diary entries can be found today in the Oneg Shabbat Archive in Warsaw。 A worthy addition to Holocaust literature。 Highly recommended。I received a copy of this book from Algonquin through NetGalley。 。。。more
Mary
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Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC！ We Must Not Think of Ourselves is set during World War Two and follows Adam Pascow， who has been moved into the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto。 Adam joins an activist group and interviews residents of the ghetto。 The book is told both through Adam's narrative of his past and the current events happening inside the ghetto and the many interviews。 Throughout the narrative， Adam becomes close to his flatmate Sala and embarks on a mission to get out of the Thank you NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the ARC！ We Must Not Think of Ourselves is set during World War Two and follows Adam Pascow， who has been moved into the Jewish Warsaw Ghetto。 Adam joins an activist group and interviews residents of the ghetto。 The book is told both through Adam's narrative of his past and the current events happening inside the ghetto and the many interviews。 Throughout the narrative， Adam becomes close to his flatmate Sala and embarks on a mission to get out of the ghetto if the chance arrises in order to escape the escalating horrors of the Nazi-run society and the long-fought war。 We Must Not Think of Ourselves is based upon the testimony-gathering project with the code name Oneg Shabbat and is a poignant tale of loss and legacy。 。。。more
Mainlinebooker
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"We Must Not Think of Ourselves" by Lauren Grodstein masterfully transports us back to one of the darkest chapters in human history - the Warsaw Ghetto of 1940。 In the shadow of despair， Grodstein paints a vivid and harrowing portrait of life within those unforgiving walls。 The book is a poignant reminder of the indomitable human spirit that persists even in the face of unimaginable horror。Grodstein skillfully weaves together the gruesome and heartbreaking images that come to mind when thinking "We Must Not Think of Ourselves" by Lauren Grodstein masterfully transports us back to one of the darkest chapters in human history - the Warsaw Ghetto of 1940。 In the shadow of despair， Grodstein paints a vivid and harrowing portrait of life within those unforgiving walls。 The book is a poignant reminder of the indomitable human spirit that persists even in the face of unimaginable horror。Grodstein skillfully weaves together the gruesome and heartbreaking images that come to mind when thinking of the Warsaw Ghetto。 We are confronted with the stark reality of bodies lying dead in the streets， innocent children risking their lives to barter for meager goods， and the constant threat of random shootings。 The dwindling supply of food becomes a constant torment， a daily reminder of the inhumanity of the situation。 The reader is left haunted by the specter of suffering that lingers on every page。Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in return for an honest review。Amidst this sea of suffering， a glimmer of humanity emerges in the character of Adam Paskow。 As a language teacher， he imparts the gift of English and poetry to a small group of students。 Through the prism of literature， he forges connections with these young souls， bridging the chasm created by his own childlessness。 Grodstein poignantly depicts the power of education and the arts to provide solace and hope in the most dire circumstances。Widowed and relegated to an overcrowded apartment shared by two families， Adam Paskow's daily life is a testament to resilience。 A simple sheet hanging from the ceiling offers his only semblance of privacy， a stark reminder of the loss of personal space and dignity。 It is in this setting that the true heart of the story unfurls。 Paskow is tasked with interviewing individuals to chronicle their everyday life in the ghetto， creating a pictorial montage based on their testimonies。This narrative technique is a stroke of genius， as it allows Grodstein to introduce us to a rich cast of characters， each with their own tales of survival， love， and hope。 These testimonies provide a poignant counterpoint to the horrors of the ghetto， reminding us that even in the darkest of times， the human spirit can find glimmers of light。 The reader is immersed in a rollercoaster of emotions， from heartbreak to moments of love， from anger at the injustice to moments of decency and humanity。"We Must Not Think of Ourselves" is a gut-wrenching and powerful portrayal of one of the most painful episodes in history。 Grodstein's prose is eloquent and evocative， drawing the reader into the heart of the Warsaw Ghetto and making us feel the weight of its history。 The characters are vividly drawn， their struggles and triumphs etching themselves into our hearts。In the end， Grodstein's novel is a testament to the resilience of the human spirit and the power of art， education， and connection to transcend even the darkest of times。 "We Must Not Think of Ourselves" is a must-read for anyone seeking to understand the depths of human suffering and the enduring capacity for hope and love in the face of unimaginable adversity。 This book is a haunting reminder that we must never forget the lessons of history and the enduring strength of the human spirit。 。。。more
Kim McGee
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As Polish jews are rounded up in Warsaw and herded into the ghetto by invading Nazi guards no one thinks it will be long term。 They come from all walks of life and each bring their skills， talents， faith and a will to survive。 Soon， children who once played games are sneaking under fences to barter for goods， women are learning how to recycle already threadbare clothing and cook whatever food they can find and learning patience from multiple families sharing a small apartment。Adam is better off As Polish jews are rounded up in Warsaw and herded into the ghetto by invading Nazi guards no one thinks it will be long term。 They come from all walks of life and each bring their skills， talents， faith and a will to survive。 Soon， children who once played games are sneaking under fences to barter for goods， women are learning how to recycle already threadbare clothing and cook whatever food they can find and learning patience from multiple families sharing a small apartment。Adam is better off than some as a widower and teacher he teaches the children English and offers them an escape。 He becomes part of a project to interview and chronicle daily life in the ghetto to preserve their heritage。 As the situation becomes more dire for all of them Adam finds comfort， friendship and more from a married roommate。 Out of hate and despair comes a moment of love and tenderness。 This historical fiction focuses on the people of the Warsaw ghetto and less on events。 Their plight created lovers out of neighbors， community out of strangers while asking for ultimate sacrifice and unshakable faith。 My thanks to the publisher and Library Journal for the advance copy。 。。。more
Nancy Mazgajewski
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A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this amazing work by author Lauren Grodstein。 We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a work of fiction based on historical figures and facts about the Warsaw Ghetto。 I wanted to read this because of my interest in the Holocaust and because of an amazing trip to Poland where we spent some days in Warsaw。The main character， Adam Paskow， taught languages at a prestigious school in Warsaw。 His wife， Kasai， was a Catholic who came from both a wealthy A big thank you to NetGalley for allowing me to preview this amazing work by author Lauren Grodstein。 We Must Not Think of Ourselves is a work of fiction based on historical figures and facts about the Warsaw Ghetto。 I wanted to read this because of my interest in the Holocaust and because of an amazing trip to Poland where we spent some days in Warsaw。The main character， Adam Paskow， taught languages at a prestigious school in Warsaw。 His wife， Kasai， was a Catholic who came from both a wealthy and well-connected family。After the death of his wife， Adam was forced to give up his apartment and to move into the Warsaw Ghetto。 He lived in an apartment there with two other families with children。 He continued to teach， however it was now in a basement and He taught English to a handful of students。Adam was recruited to be a part of the One Shabbat。 He was one of a group of people who interviewed various people， students， friends to get their life story or their memories。 This was an actual group that documented the history of hundreds of Jews during the Holocaust so that they would be remembered along with the suffering they endured during their stay in the Ghetto。This was a tender read and one that I will keep close to my heart。 。。。more
Firetruckmama
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I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher， for which I thank them。“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” is a historical fiction WWII book by Lauren Grodstein。 I thought that this book took a different look， in this case through the eyes of someone living in the Polish Ghetto， at the horrors of WWII。 In many cases this book didn’t hold back punches - people go mad， people are killed， people are hurt - but in other ways there is humor and good things that do happen， even while ba I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley and the publisher， for which I thank them。“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” is a historical fiction WWII book by Lauren Grodstein。 I thought that this book took a different look， in this case through the eyes of someone living in the Polish Ghetto， at the horrors of WWII。 In many cases this book didn’t hold back punches - people go mad， people are killed， people are hurt - but in other ways there is humor and good things that do happen， even while bad things also occur。 I wanted to feel more for the characters at times - at times the information the main character relays is rather dry （which is what can happen when recording facts， I’ll admit）。 I’d recommend this book to others interested in WWII life during Poland in the ghetto。 。。。more
Tamara
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WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES， a book by Lauren Grodstein， is a historical fiction based on a true story that follows Adam （Pan） Paskow during WWII in Warsaw。 He is a Jewish widower and a former English teacher who has been asked to covertly record every Jewish person's time during WWII while in the ghetto。 He records himself， children， housewives- everyone。This book takes place right when the Jewish communities are being rounded up and placed in the ghetto; the storyline goes on until they sta WE MUST NOT THINK OF OURSELVES， a book by Lauren Grodstein， is a historical fiction based on a true story that follows Adam （Pan） Paskow during WWII in Warsaw。 He is a Jewish widower and a former English teacher who has been asked to covertly record every Jewish person's time during WWII while in the ghetto。 He records himself， children， housewives- everyone。This book takes place right when the Jewish communities are being rounded up and placed in the ghetto; the storyline goes on until they start shipping the people to the concentration camps。 I have read almost every iteration of WWII novels， and I confess that it is one of my favorite historical fiction genres to read。 This is the first I've heard of being a record keeper， as the whole premise of the novel。Because the premise is him， Pan， being a record keeper， the book reads like a journal entry。 The book is well written， with few grammatical errors， but it fell flat。 WWII and the Holocaust are such a rich time in history， and as stated before， it is a popular genre with many types of fiction。 Romance， Spy， Thriller， and Intrigue; it was disheartening to take this time in history and make it a journal entry。 There was NO intrigue， no heart pounding， no climax。 A part from him having a love affair with a married woman that he boarded with。 At about 63% of the book， I started to skim， and I was not invested in Pan as a character。His father-in-law remarks in the book that Pan has no drive and that he is such a realist。 He accepts things as they happen。 That was also how I see him as a character。 Yes， he continued to teach students while in the ghetto; yes， he kept a record。 But he did nothing but survive。 Maybe there was nothing more to do， and it was because it was based on a true story， but it held no interest to me， and I was happy to end the book ended。Overall， I'll give this book three stars。 I liked that it was based on a true story， that it was terribly heartbreaking， and that this author's prose was excellent。 Would I read more by her？ No， probably not。This book is set to publish on November 28， 2023。 Thank you， Netgalley and the publishers， for this ARC in exchange for an honest review。I just reviewed We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein。 #WeMustNotThinkofOurselves #NetGalleywww。netgally。com 。。。more
Sara Livoti
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This was alright。 Not the best WW2 historical fiction I've read， but certainly not the worst。 I enjoyed the mild romance， and that it took place in the ghetto， which was a new perspective for me。 I could see the potential of this story， but it fell flat emotionally most of the time。 I think the diary format and writing style may have contributed to this。。。lots of telling vs。 showing。 On the whole though， this book is a good pick for broadening one's perspective of the Holocaust events。Thank you This was alright。 Not the best WW2 historical fiction I've read， but certainly not the worst。 I enjoyed the mild romance， and that it took place in the ghetto， which was a new perspective for me。 I could see the potential of this story， but it fell flat emotionally most of the time。 I think the diary format and writing style may have contributed to this。。。lots of telling vs。 showing。 On the whole though， this book is a good pick for broadening one's perspective of the Holocaust events。Thank you to NetGalley for providing me this ARC！ 。。。more
Brenda
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We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein is a fascinating and sobering look at life within the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII。 In order to document and preserve experiences and memories， Adam records interviews he has with fellow Jews。 He includes details such as weight and height along with daily existence。。。and death。 What people went through is impossible to fathom， especially the fate of children。 Though a work of Historical Fiction， the story is based on true events。The premise is incr We Must Not Think of Ourselves by Lauren Grodstein is a fascinating and sobering look at life within the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII。 In order to document and preserve experiences and memories， Adam records interviews he has with fellow Jews。 He includes details such as weight and height along with daily existence。。。and death。 What people went through is impossible to fathom， especially the fate of children。 Though a work of Historical Fiction， the story is based on true events。The premise is incredibly interesting and I like the format and multiple perspectives。 Reading about the Holocaust is always challenging due to the subject matter but it is also extremely important to know about。 I appreciate the author's riveting writing style and the fact that she draws information from her own visit to Poland。My sincere thank you to Algonquin Books and NetGalley for providing me with a digital copy of this compelling book。 。。。more
Lisa Gilbert
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We Must Not Think of Ourselves takes place in a Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 Adam Paskow， a Jew who lived in this ghetto， is asked to keep a record， or an archive， of life in the ghetto， people’s daily lives， their memories and anything really about the Jewish people。 He takes this task very seriously and the reader gets to live vicariously through his words。 There were so many horrors and injustices suffered by both children and adults alike in the ghetto。 This book is incredibly emotional and hear We Must Not Think of Ourselves takes place in a Jewish ghetto in Warsaw。 Adam Paskow， a Jew who lived in this ghetto， is asked to keep a record， or an archive， of life in the ghetto， people’s daily lives， their memories and anything really about the Jewish people。 He takes this task very seriously and the reader gets to live vicariously through his words。 There were so many horrors and injustices suffered by both children and adults alike in the ghetto。 This book is incredibly emotional and heartbreaking。 It is the first account I’ve read of life in a Jewish ghetto。 Lauren Grodstein did an amazing job of researching this topic and I’m grateful to have learned something new about the lives of these prisoners and their will to survive。 This is a must read if you enjoy historical fiction novels。 Thank you， NetGalley and Algonquin Books for the advanced copy of this 4-star read。 。。。more
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we must not think of ourselves lauren grodstein