We Must Not Think of Ourselves
- Downloads：9667
- Type：Epub+TxT+PDF+Mobi
- Create Date：2023-12-19 07:23:11
- Update Date：2025-09-08
- Status：finish
- Author：Lauren Grodstein
- ISBN：1668640740
- Environment：PC/Android/iPhone/iPad/Kindle
Reviews
BOOKLOVER EB
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Adam Paskow was a childless widower in his forties when he and his fellow Jews were imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto。 At first， he and the nine people with whom he shared an apartment were able to procure enough food to survive。 However， as the weeks passed， it became increasingly difficult to obtain even the most basic necessities。“We Must not Think of Ourselves，” by Lauren Grodstein， is a haunting work of fiction that focuses on the physical and psychological damage inflicted by the Nazis on th Adam Paskow was a childless widower in his forties when he and his fellow Jews were imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto。 At first， he and the nine people with whom he shared an apartment were able to procure enough food to survive。 However， as the weeks passed， it became increasingly difficult to obtain even the most basic necessities。“We Must not Think of Ourselves，” by Lauren Grodstein， is a haunting work of fiction that focuses on the physical and psychological damage inflicted by the Nazis on their helpless captives。 The author moves us with affecting passages that describe in harrowing detail what the Jews in the Warsaw Ghetto endured。 First， they had to come to terms with the loss of their civil rights， jobs， education， and possessions。 Eventually， many were executed， died of disease or malnutrition， or were sent to concentration camps。At the behest of Emil Ringelblum—a politician， archivist， and social worker who organized relief agencies and soup kitchens—Adam， a gifted English teacher， creates a written record of the reminiscences， feelings， experiences， and observations of his acquaintances in the ghetto for the sake of posterity。 Grodstein's central characters react to their dire circumstances in a variety of ways: with courage and resilience; horror and grief; desperation and recklessness; and incredible love and self-sacrifice。 Our hearts go out to these persecuted men， women， and children。 They were innocent victims who were tortured and killed by brutal oppressors driven by baseless hatred。 。。。more
Catherine
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A powerfully written book set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II。 The number of historical fiction books that I have read that are set during WWII is vast， but this book is unique。Adam is a Jewish gentleman who taught English to students in Poland。 Married to a gentile， he is recently widowed， his wife having died from a head injury after a fall。 Shortly after this， he， and many of his neighbors and students， are rounded up and forced to live in cramped apartments with no privacy， little f A powerfully written book set in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II。 The number of historical fiction books that I have read that are set during WWII is vast， but this book is unique。Adam is a Jewish gentleman who taught English to students in Poland。 Married to a gentile， he is recently widowed， his wife having died from a head injury after a fall。 Shortly after this， he， and many of his neighbors and students， are rounded up and forced to live in cramped apartments with no privacy， little food， and a great deal of uncertainty and fear。The horrors of this time come through with every chapter， but so do the glimmers of hope and humanity。 I couldn't put this book down。 Exceptionally well-written。 。。。more
Frances
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I struggle with this content。 It is so important but gut-wrenching at the same time。 It is a tale of resilience…the author does a wonderful job。
MicheleReader
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Adam Paskow was a Jewish English teacher living in Warsaw。 His young Polish wife died tragically and once the Nazis invaded， he had to leave his home behind and move into the gated ghetto where all Jewish residents were forced to live。 Adam is living in an apartment with two families。 After his shift working at the Aid Society， a soup kitchen that doles out available food， he conducts an English class for any of the children that show up。 Adam is asked to help the organization Oneg Shabbat by in Adam Paskow was a Jewish English teacher living in Warsaw。 His young Polish wife died tragically and once the Nazis invaded， he had to leave his home behind and move into the gated ghetto where all Jewish residents were forced to live。 Adam is living in an apartment with two families。 After his shift working at the Aid Society， a soup kitchen that doles out available food， he conducts an English class for any of the children that show up。 Adam is asked to help the organization Oneg Shabbat by interviewing as many people in the ghetto so that their experiences can be preserved for the future。 The stories he compiles tell each person's history and their struggles in the ghetto。 They are tragic and also hopeful。 Author Lauren Grodstein has taken the actual writings from Oneg Shabbat as the inspiration for the fictional We Must Not Think of Ourselves。 Through the eyes of Adam Paskow， a heartbreaking story is presented that brings the reader into this horrible， unimaginable existence。 While the cruelty was ever-present， I was struck by the incredible resourcefulness of the children who found ways to survive。 The ultimate fates of most of the people from the Warsaw Ghetto （1940-1943） have been well documented， but their stories need to be told and told again。 。。。more
Faith Hurst-Bilinski
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It is never easy to read about the Holocaust。 It seems especially so now。 While the book is well written， it struck really hard。 What is so compelling is that it is based on real life archives that I had no idea existed。 The strength it took to keep these stories cannot be diminished。 This has always been a complex and horrifying part of the world。 I wish it were just history。
Jenni
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Tough to read， but I'm really glad that I did。 Tough to read， but I'm really glad that I did。 。。。more
Sarah Haman
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an intimate portrait of the Warsaw ghetto
Terry Tessar
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Such a different and interesting viewpoint of the horrors of Nazi Germany…。。a look from within the Warsaw ghetto。 I especially enjoyed the interviews。
Cindy
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Powerful story of the Jewish ghetto in Warsaw during WWII…
Debra
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3。5 stars
Cathy O'c
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I have read hundreds， if not thousands of novels set during World War II。 The novel We Must Not Think of Ourselves is one in its own class。 This novel takes place in a Polish ghetto over the course of almost 2 years。 During that time the residents become increasingly impoverished， hungry， and desperate。 What sets this novel apart is that the characters are realistic people， not heroes。 This novel seems so raw and heartbreaking as it shows the Jewish inhabitants trying to normalize their existenc I have read hundreds， if not thousands of novels set during World War II。 The novel We Must Not Think of Ourselves is one in its own class。 This novel takes place in a Polish ghetto over the course of almost 2 years。 During that time the residents become increasingly impoverished， hungry， and desperate。 What sets this novel apart is that the characters are realistic people， not heroes。 This novel seems so raw and heartbreaking as it shows the Jewish inhabitants trying to normalize their existence in this purgatory while wondering how the world has forgotten about them。 The slow realization that they are headed toward annihilation seems so cruel and unbearable， yet we know this was true。 Ms。 Grodstein has given a voice to those ordinary Polish citizens who lived and died in the Warsaw ghetto。 This novel will remain in my heart and I will encourage my reading friends as well as my book club to read it。 。。。more
Susan
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Sad book， but well written。 Difficult to read， so very sad Jenna book
Holly
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4。7 stars Beautiful， heartbreaking， timely
Andrea
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Heartbreaking， deeply written story of nazi occupied Poland。
Rosi
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Audiobook。 A moving story of the Jewish people who were trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII。
Lisa
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Set in the WWII Warsaw ghetto that made prisoners of more than 400，000 Jews under Nazi occupation， “We Must Not Think of Ourselves” centers on Adam Paskow， a middle-aged， nonobservant university professor who “barely remembered I was a Jew” before the Germans invaded in 1939。 Grieving the recent death of his wife， Adam moves like a man in a dream as the ordinary stuff of life is forbidden to Warsaw Jews。 Finally， they are forced from their homes and into ghetto。Sharing an apartment with 10 other Set in the WWII Warsaw ghetto that made prisoners of more than 400，000 Jews under Nazi occupation， “We Must Not Think of Ourselves” centers on Adam Paskow， a middle-aged， nonobservant university professor who “barely remembered I was a Jew” before the Germans invaded in 1939。 Grieving the recent death of his wife， Adam moves like a man in a dream as the ordinary stuff of life is forbidden to Warsaw Jews。 Finally， they are forced from their homes and into ghetto。Sharing an apartment with 10 others and teaching English in a crumbling basement， Adam signs on to interview his people for the Oneg Shabbat project， a clandestine effort to gather accounts of life in the ghetto for posterity。 In this book the shrinking food supply， the random violence of Nazi guards， and the ignorance that kept the general will to live from extinguishing entirely。 “On that first fall evening 11 months ago，” Adam muses， “if you had told any of us that we would be here for an entire year … surely at least one of us would have run to a guard and begged him to shoot。 But we didn’t know， so we had survived。”In the spring of 1942， Adam learns that the Nazis will begin deporting some 6，000 Jews from the ghetto to the camps each day。 Mystified and despairing， he wonders， “What had happened to them in their lives that they couldn’t let us live ours？” 。。。more
Sarah
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6/10
Mary Lins
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When I picked up “We Must Not Think of Ourselves”， by Laura Grodstein， I did not realize it was the Today Show “Read with Jenna” choice for December， hence it doesn’t need my help getting noticed， but let me pile on with the praise anyway！ Adam Paskow provides the wonderful narrative voice as he relates life in the Warsaw ghetto in Poland beginning in 1940。 Adam’s story is addictive， his pragmatic and optimistic nature lulls us and fascinates， even though we know that optimism isn’t called for。A When I picked up “We Must Not Think of Ourselves”， by Laura Grodstein， I did not realize it was the Today Show “Read with Jenna” choice for December， hence it doesn’t need my help getting noticed， but let me pile on with the praise anyway！ Adam Paskow provides the wonderful narrative voice as he relates life in the Warsaw ghetto in Poland beginning in 1940。 Adam’s story is addictive， his pragmatic and optimistic nature lulls us and fascinates， even though we know that optimism isn’t called for。Adam， a widower and an English teacher， has been asked to record EVERYTHING about life in the Warsaw ghetto as part of the “Oneg Shabbat” program （a real thing， look it up！） to chronicle the lives around him。 Thus we are treated to quotidian details of life there， and how it compares to life before the invasion of Poland。 I immediately TRUSTED Adam as a narrator。 He’s charming， funny， self-deprecating， and above all， honest。My favorite parts where when Adam interviews his apartment-mates and his young students about their lives。 Can a novel about the Warsaw ghetto with its overcrowding， sickness， starvation， and death， have moments of wit， fun， love， light， and laughter？ Yes it can。 But of course， it’s also heartbreaking。 This novel has “all the feels”。Adam and the others often talk about what they look forward to “when we’re out of here” or “when this is over”， and of course， we readers know the horrors to come。I am so glad I read this beautifully written and timely， novel。 。。。more
Kim
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Another Holocaust book but worth the read。 Polish Jewish view point， Jewish Ghettos， and a love story of true sacrifice。
Beth
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Inspired by true events， We Must Not Think of Ourselves tells the story of the Warsaw ghettos during the Holocaust， as experienced and transcribed by Adam Paskow， an English teacher imprisoned in the ghetto who’s enlisted into a project to record his fellow prisoners’ stories for posterity。 This book is beautifully written， with so much empathy for these incredibly well-drawn characters。 Adam himself is imperfect and fully human， and all the more likable and sympathetic for it。 This story gave m Inspired by true events， We Must Not Think of Ourselves tells the story of the Warsaw ghettos during the Holocaust， as experienced and transcribed by Adam Paskow， an English teacher imprisoned in the ghetto who’s enlisted into a project to record his fellow prisoners’ stories for posterity。 This book is beautifully written， with so much empathy for these incredibly well-drawn characters。 Adam himself is imperfect and fully human， and all the more likable and sympathetic for it。 This story gave me a window into a part of this tragic history I’d not previously been familiar with， and it’s told in a way that’s just as gripping as it is devastating。 It’s also a timely reminder that the casualties of war and genocide are not just victims or statistics， but uniquely individual human beings。 Thank you Lauren Grodstein， Algonquin Books， and NetGalley for providing this book for review consideration。 All opinions expressed are my own。 。。。more
Susan Taylor
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3。5， WWII， Warsaw Ghetto a group of people interview residents to document what has & is happening to them and their families。 You get an eye view into their lives and how they survive。
Deb
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Beautifully written。
Phyllis Holmes
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Adam Paskow was a language teacher in Warsaw at the beginning of World War II。 He wound up n the Warsaw ghetto and for 2 years， he barely lived a life。 He managed， though， to build a community and found bits of joy where he could
Christine Maglicic
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This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers。 To view it， click here。 An amazing story of loss and loveHistorical fiction is my interest。 Liked that it is told in first person。 Felt as if I was there。 Was a surprise that he was able to escape the ghetto with the boys。 Was waiting to see what happened next！
Tina Panik
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Deeply， deeply moving: a book one feels as strongly as one seeks to understand。
Kathleen
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The inspiration for this book is from the actual Oneg Shabbat archives kept by people confined in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II。 It is not centered on the extermination camps or the resistance as many of these books are but on the experiences of living in the ghetto。 It sheds more light on the stark conditions these people experienced while trying to make life as normal as possible for their families。 The story focuses on Adam Paskow who is one of the archivists and a school teacher， but The inspiration for this book is from the actual Oneg Shabbat archives kept by people confined in the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II。 It is not centered on the extermination camps or the resistance as many of these books are but on the experiences of living in the ghetto。 It sheds more light on the stark conditions these people experienced while trying to make life as normal as possible for their families。 The story focuses on Adam Paskow who is one of the archivists and a school teacher， but it also relates others’ stories while they try to live through the horrors of the ghetto while trying to maintain some semblance of normalcy。 。。。more
Debra Shaughnessy
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Grodstein's central character， English teacher Adam Paskow， conveys daily life in the Warsaw Ghetto through his first-person narration and the interviews he conducts with his housemates and students。 Every day is a surreal mix of the unspeakable and the banal。 Terror and tenderness。 The fear of making eye contact with the wrong Nazi and the simple pleasure of savoring a piece of smuggled candy。 A profound novel about survival and holding out hope in the worst of circumstances。 Highly recommended Grodstein's central character， English teacher Adam Paskow， conveys daily life in the Warsaw Ghetto through his first-person narration and the interviews he conducts with his housemates and students。 Every day is a surreal mix of the unspeakable and the banal。 Terror and tenderness。 The fear of making eye contact with the wrong Nazi and the simple pleasure of savoring a piece of smuggled candy。 A profound novel about survival and holding out hope in the worst of circumstances。 Highly recommended。 。。。more
Shana Prugh
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It took awhile to get into this book but I really enjoyed this remarkable story about the Warsaw Ghetto and the people who worked to make sure their stories were not forgotten。
Alexa
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I think my rating is somewhere between four and five stars。 This book has the type of ending that will stick with me for a very long time。 I don’t know why I thought I wouldn’t cry。
Deja Roden
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