The Teacher of Warsaw: A WWII Novel

This book captivated me from beginning to end. The writing is excellent and shows the true impact the ghetto had on everyone, while also showing the inner political workings of the ghetto. I was sobbing by the end of the book, it’s heartbreaking. Dr. Korczak was “the richest man in Warsaw” and he made sure the children were happy during time they had left in this world and loved. I fell in love with the children. This is definitely a story that needs to be told, so we do not forget. I highly rec

NOTE: I was given early access to this manuscript through NetGalley in exchange for writing an impartial review. Thank you Harper Muse. Publication Date: June 7, 2022 Powerful, profoundly sad, and yet inspiring historical fiction, THE TEACHER OF WARSAW is based on the true story of Janusz Korczak, who headed up a Jewish orphanage in Poland on the eve of World War II, when the books begins. If you know anything about history, you know this is not going to go well. 60 year old Janusz is a dedicated physician, a man well-known in his community, and a respected educator. Though more agnostic than religious, he is unfailingly kind and open to all -- friends, staff, and children. Above all, the care for his charges is based on love and seeing each child as an individual. Despite his own growing physical limitations, Janusz puts his wide circle of contacts to work to maintain a semblance of normalcy, for as long as possible. Always appearing confident and encouraging, he puts the needs of those around him ahead of his own. Lessons must continue and he even uses his own storytelling ability -- to impart wise lessons to his orphans. A man you have to love and a true hero who inspires. Not surprisingly, the reason the book is so difficult to read (and I found I sometimes had to take breaks) is because I knew from page one how events will unfold, while Janusz does not. So, as readers, we wind up witnessing the Holocaust almost as if a participant. As rumors about mass killings begin to circulate, characters in the book can consider and dismiss them. We, as readers, can't. As some residents of the Warsaw Ghetto begin to consider fighting back, we know they will become part of the Warsaw Uprising. I found myself braced throughout the book, continually asking just how bad are things going to get. It's beautifully written. I've read few books that have had a greater emotional impact than this one. Yes, it reminded me of the unimaginable brutality and sadness that surround the Holocaust. But it also reminded me of the amazing optimism and resiliency of human beings and what a remarkable difference a single person can make to the lives of so many. Even in the midst of chaos.