The Teacher of Warsaw

by Mario Escobar

When a book leaves an impact on your soul after the covers are closed, you know you have read a treasure. I was a few chapters into The Teacher of Warsaw before I was captivated by Mario Escobar’s work of historical fiction. After I understood what this author with a master’s degree in Modern History had set out to share, I was repeatedly drawn back from my world into the sad and inspiring world of Janusz Korczak, a pediatrician and teacher with many talents who dedicated his life to the children in his orphanage. They suffered together as the Nazis made their lives and the lives of all Polish Jews a nightmare of starvation and deprivation. Thanks to Dr. Korczak and the dedicated group of tutors who worked alongside him, the children were given hope and taught to love even their enemies. Korczak was Jewish by heritage but had not been raised in a religious family. He admired and appreciated many things about the Jew Jesus and likened Him to the anticipated Messiah, but did not accept Him as the fulfillment of prophecies. Dr. Korczak described himself at various times as an atheist, an agnostic, and a seeker, but those around him would have been hard pressed to find a stronger, more sacrificial, more ethical, and more loving leader. In return the children loved him, and he was regarded with respect by all but the most evil of Nazis.

Dr. Korczak was encouraged by many, including Polish social worker Irena Sendler, to escape the Warsaw Ghetto and the extermination which was surely coming, but his answer was always the same: the children of the orphanage needed him and he would not abandon them. The Teacher of Warsaw is both horrifying and inspiring as it depicts the worst and the best of mankind and demonstrates the power of love.

I received a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

Rating: 5/5

Category: Historical Fiction

Notes: 1. Translated from Spanish by Gretchen Abernathy.
2. Includes two sections that discuss the historical basis of the story, a timeline of the Warsaw Ghetto, and discussion questions for the reader.

Publication: June 7, 2022—Harper Muse

Memorable Lines:

“Can you think what would’ve happened to the boy had we not been passing by? Everything happens for a reason. Even the greatest misfortunes can become the sweetest blessings.”

“We labor to give them back their hope: but we cannot give what we do not possess. Therefore, be full of hope this morning. May your joy overflow because you do what you do out of love and service for the weakest ones. And when negative thoughts come to steal your peace and joy, don’t let them make a nest in your minds. We can’t avoid those kinds of thoughts, but we can keep them from controlling us.”

I had two hundred children whom I loved and who loved me. I was undoubtedly the richest man in the Warsaw ghetto.

3.5 stars

Certainly any book written about this horrendous time of Nazism and the inhumane treatment of the Jews and others deserves our respect. It is true in the case of Mario Escobar's book The Teacher of Warsaw.

The teacher in this case was a man named Dr Janusz Korczak, who ran the Dom Sierot Jewish orphanage. The lives in this orphanage are about to be upended as the Nazis sweep through Poland and brought with them their plan for the elimination of all Jews putting it into motion. Janusz and his staff realize the nightmare is approaching, but they endeavor to give the two hundred children in their care hope. It is a hope beset by tragedy, by sickness, by loss of parents. It is loss beyond belief without their parents in a time of unending nightmares.

Janusz tries to alleviate the suffering as best he can. He begs for supplies often putting his life in danger as he traverses the horrible world the Nazis have created. As the war progresses and more victories seem to mount up for the Nazis, more and more restrictions are put upon the heads of the Jews. Finally, the day comes when Dr Janusz is forced to move his staff and the children to the Warsaw Ghetto, where life takes another turn for the worse. Death, typhus, starvation, pestilence follow them, but in the midst of all this, Dr Janusz gives them hope and a look toward a better tomorrow.

When they are ordered to vacate the ghetto, the children march out with the good doctor and board the train to Treblinka where their young lives will be snuffed out. It is ever so sad. It's been over seventy years, and yet the horror of what theses madmen did, can never be erased from rational minds.

It was an eye opening story and I so wish it had been true to its intent. Hover, the author placed many musings and platitudes that supposedly Janusz uttered which did bog down the story and tended to make it overly wordy.

However, this story will reverberate within me for a long time as I once again revisit the horrible things that man can do to others.

Thank you to Mario Escobar, Harper Muse, and NetGalley for a copy of this book which published in June of 2022.

2.5 stars

I was really looking forward to this story - based on the true story of Janusz Korczak - a hero of WWII, but something about the way this story was written did not work for me. I'd like to blame the translation because I'm clearly in the minority, and I generally love books about WWII. Perhaps it was the lengthly, philosophical ramblings in the book that I could not connect with, or the first person narrative. Definitely enjoyed learning about Janusz Korczak and all that he did for the orphans of Warsaw, and no doubt a very important part of history, but this was just not the book for me.


Thank you to netgalley for an advanced copy of this book. All opinions my own.

Having read several previous books by Mario Escobar, I knew that his fictional accounts of historical events are exceptional. His book The Teacher of Warsaw is no exception!

The Teacher of Warsaw focuses on Janusz Korczak and the Jewish orphanage Dom Seriot he runs in Warsaw, Poland. At the time, Korczak was a well-known and well-respected doctor and teacher in Poland. Based upon his own writings, this book tells the story of his orphanage being moved into the Warsaw Ghetto during the Holocaust and his attempts to keep the children and teachers in his care safe. Although his position in Polish society could have provided opportunity to escape, Korczak chose to stay with the children in his orphanage until the very end when they were sent to Treblinka.

The Teacher of Warsaw was heartbreaking to read, not only because you know how it ends, but due to the well thought out reasons for Korczak's actions. Escobar does a masterful job of portraying the philosophical reasoning for the teacher's actions and how he taught and modeled life for the children in his care. This createes a story that requires the reader to think deeply about the issues raised that are still being wrestled with today. This book is a highly recommended addition to your Holocaust reading list.

Disclosure of Material Connection: I received a complementary copy of his book from Thoma Nelson via NetGalley. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

This is one of those books that will break your heart even as you are unable to put it down. The fact that the story of Janusz Korczak and the orphan children for whom he cared is true makes it even more devastating.

While this book is at times incredibly hard to read, that makes it all the more important. Escobar doesn't shy away from describing the reality of life in the Warsaw Ghetto under Nazi rule, reminding us all of what happens when groups like the Nazis are allowed to take power in society.

A history lesson and story of true devotion all rolled into one.

“A beautifully written, deeply emotional story of hope, love, and courage in the face of unspeakable horrors. That such self-sacrifice, dedication and goodness existed restores faith in humankind. Escobar's heart-rending yet uplifting tale is made all the more poignant by its authenticity. Bravo!” —Tea Cooper, award-winning and bestselling author of The Cartographer’s Secret

Book received for free through NetGalley

Read 4% of the way into this book but kept starting and stopping and ultimately forgot about it. Figured it was better to review as is. It was written well just not my cup of tea.

Janusz Korczak was well known in Poland as a children's book author, a popular radio show host of programs advocating for children and a former pediatrician who literally gave his life as the director of a Warsaw Jewish Orphanage during WWII. The Teacher of Warsaw is a first person narrative novel, cast as Korczak's diary of his time caring for his orphans in the Warsaw Ghetto. Escobar's research of the real people he portrays and life in the ghetto and the characters he created to carry the story along is excellent. Day by day, week by week the culture, the struggle for life, the dead beggar children, the corrupt black market players, the varied choices made by those in the ghetto and on the outside to help, to ignore the inhabitants' dire circumstances or to actively harm those inside unfold.

Escobar writes in a sparse and simple style. I wondered at first if the translation did the original Spanish justice. As I read on, I found the story of the man and of the people surrounding him during a horrifying chapter of the German occupation of Poland shone through because of this simple factual approach, with a touch of feeling and pain, but mostly a story of the day to day existence of hundreds of thousands of people confined to a living hell. The bare truth of what happened is horrible and painful and none of that is lost in the telling. Escobar shares that Janusz Korczak --despite his doubts and his own deep fear that there was no hope-- inspired hope for as long as he lived, ultimately joining his charges in their death march to the trains transporting them to Treblinka. Escobar suggests that the Teacher believed that death is inevitable and it is how we spend each moment that matters, not when or how we die. Every well done book like this one should be read and the history preserved. Never forget.

The Teacher of Warsaw was a really well-written and thought-provoking book. It definitely lays bare the horrors that so many experienced during the Nazi occupation of Poland. For anyone interested in becoming more aware of what life in the Warsaw Ghetto was like, or even interested in reading about the innate human drive to help those around them, I'd highly recommend this book. The titular teacher really is such a wonderful character whose light shines brightly in the darkest hours of history.

My only "complaint" about this book (which actually has nothing to do with this book) is that I'm getting a bit weary of WWII books. There are just so, so many of them being pushed out by publishers right now that each additional one I read feels a little more stale than the last.

I couldn't quite get into The Teacher of Warsaw. It probably didn't help that I absolutely LOVED Auschwitz Lullaby, also by the same author. I raved about that book and so I had incredibly high expectations.

I wasn't able to finish this book before the time expired.

I was having difficulty getting into this. For some reason, I really didn't enjoy the narrative style. I didn't find it engaging. Even though it was WWII historical fiction which I usually enjoy and it had situations/experiences where I would normally be invested in the characters, this book just didn't draw me in.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC digital edition.

Unfortunately, I was unable to read this in the time allotted. It remains on my “to be read” list for the future.

I am drawn to stories written during historical times, particularly during World War Two. Mario Escabar's,"The Teacher of Warsaw" is based on a true story involving a highly respected Polish doctor and philanthropist whose actual name is not used in the book. He founded a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw prior to WWII and not long after the Nazi's took possession of the city, they created the infamous Warsaw Ghetto wherein thousands of Jews and orphanages were required to live.
There follows the narrative of starvation, disease, intrigue and unbearable cruelty. The doctor's courageous efforts to inveigle enough food, mediclne and clothing from his many sources to keep his orphans alive and relatively healthy dwindle as the months continue and the Nazi atrocities increase, However he never gives up and risks his life daily for his "children".
This is a difficult book to read because it is factual and readers know this is not just a story; history tells us that extremely few people survived the Warsaw Ghetto. The narrator is in the voice of the the doctor, well written and descriptive of the small and large acts of heroism among the Jewish people of the Ghetto, but also squeezing and twisting the hearts of readers as they progress through the heavily weighted words of wartime suffering and dying.
Although a difficult read emotionally, I am gratified I did read it.

Escobar has focused on various WWII Jewish stories over his writing and usually there a survivor element to them. This one is different. The Teacher of Warsaw tells the story of Janusz Korczak. Korczak is treated almost as a savior of Poland and others believe he is needed to help rebuild the country after the Nazis leave but Korczak believes something different. At the time the Nazis start attacking Poland in 1939 Korczak is already 60 years old and for many years has dedicated his life to running a Jewish orphanage. As the Nazis bare down on Warsaw others keep telling him to leave but he has decided his place is with his children.

If you know anything about what happened to the Jews from Warsaw you cannot imagine that this ends well so your journey with this book is what happens in the Ghetto. While I believe Janusz Korczak is someone we should know about my issue with this book is that is focuses on the time between 1939 and 1942. So the story becomes very repetitive because during this time is was bombing by Germany, creation of the Ghetto, moving to the Ghetto, leaving the Ghetto. Each chapter felt the same with his concerns on how is children will survive and that they have no food and the spread of disease. I prefer other books by Escobar but I also enjoyed learning about this man but want to know about him before 1939. I have his ending but not how he became so important to Poland.

Did not have time to finish, but what I did I loved. His books are always very detailed and highly researched. He is the master with Historical Fiction.

This was a poignant book about World War II set in Poland. Even though this was a translated book, it flowed well and was easy to read. If I didn’t know, I would never have guessed it was translated.

I would recommend this book to anyone who loves Historical Fiction specific to the World War eras.

I received a copy of this book from Netgalley, a positive review was not required.

Brilliant, an absolutely enjoyable read.

I very much enjoy historical fiction and all that I learn from them.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this gifted copy.

This was a beautiful book about a fascinating man. The teacher was so incredibly moving and motivational for me. The writing was superb and the plot interesting. I found the writing to be a bit “flowery” in regards to the teacher and the staff at the orphanage. It felt a bit disjointed while writing about such a dark subject. Overall, I loved this book and my time with it. I found the kindness and empathy displayed during this time period to be incredibly beautiful.

Okay so this was a Netgalley ARC and to put it bluntly. You need to read it.

This book is inspired by a true story and you might want to bring your tissues - it’s a tearjerker!

I was completely drawn into this book from the very beginning. The story is so powerful as we follow the stories of Ester and Ana as WWII breaks out and they are sent to work for the Nazis with the horrific job of delivering and then disposing of Jewish babies. A heartbreaking story line but the harsh reality of the war.

The Teacher of Warsaw is an historical fiction based on the true life story of Janusz Korczak who ran a Jewish orphanage in Warsaw when the Nazis invade Poland.
The author has done his research as the book doesn’t shy away from the horrors that the characters went through in this period of history that the world should never forget.
It is a story of hope, bravery and love and a story that the world show know about.