We Must Not Think of Ourselves: A Novel

Love this book! Profound and timely with unforgettable characters having to make unimaginable choices to survive. Great writing.

DNF, skimmed

This novel is spired by the testimony-gathering project with the code name, Oneg Shabbat. I think it's neat that you can visit the archive in Warsaw to see actual diary entries, sketches, and other paraphernalia collected by the archivists of this project that were buried in giant milk cans before the Warsaw ghetto's distruction in 1942. This book concentrates on the story of Adam Paskow, an english teacher who becomes a prisoner in the Warsaw Ghetto, after his late wife's father manipulates him out of his apartment and into a shared apartment with many other people. He is approached by a mysterious person with an intriguing request, to archive and preserve the stories of the fellow jews in that ghetto. A task of preserving the truth. He interviews a few students as well as housemates and watches in horror as people are shot in the streets, manipulated, and sent away to concentration camps by nazi guards. I loved hearing all of the different stories, i loved the writing style of this author, but hated how much the narrative tied to current events. One quote that truly got to me was towards the end of the book, " as with everything in the ghetto, everything in our lives, we had become used to our new daily horror, and didn't let even the deportations of our friends and neighbors keep us from the rituals of our ridiculous days." This book is for anyone who loves WWII novels and wants to see history from another point of view. Books like this should help us not to repeat history. But alas... here we are. This quick read is worth the time and is important.

In "We Must Not Think of Ourselves" by Lauren Grodstein, we are transported to the harrowing time of the Holocaust. Through the eyes of the main character, we witness the heart-wrenching task of archiving the lives and struggles of Jewish people in the ghetto. This powerful narrative sheds light on a dark chapter of history, reminding us to never forget the resilience and humanity that emerged in the face of unimaginable adversity.

Lauren Fox gave an accurate review. I might have given it a 10 if I had liked the narrator more. His voice permeated everything, even the stories of others. If the point was to tell the stories of those held prisoner in the Warsaw ghetto, he only accomplished sharing through his filter, not as an objective reporter.