
Member Reviews

Run do not walk to get this book! Less than 1 day to read it. I could not put it down. The Warsaw uprising to Hollywood and one woman’s struggle to rise above adversity. The book begins when a young actress wants to tell her story so you are brought through the story. I cannot recommend it enough.
#harperperrenerial #lisaBarr #thewarsawgoddess #neglalley

I mean, wow! What a book. I’m not a huge WWII novel fan, but I really like Lisa Barr. So I was happy to receive an advanced copy. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher.
This book was happy, sad, gripping and so emotional. I appreciate the historical story and enjoyed the fictional characters. I didn’t want it to end. Thank you, Lisa Barr - what a story!

Hands down, this is Lisa Barr at her very best. And that's a high BAR after WOMAN ON FIRE. The book is a force, an absolute masterpiece. You can tell Lisa put her entire heart and soul into this story. The research, the twists, the writing....exceptional. I was transported in time, invested in these memorable characters, and flipping pages, but at the same time, wishing it would never end. This will be one of my top ten of 2024 by far.

Wow. The Goddess of Warsaw was my first read of the year, and it was unputdownable. It tells the story of Bina Blonski, an upper middle class Jewish woman from Poland, during and after WWII. Bina's life as a stage actress and young wife is completely upended by the invasion of Poland by the Nazis, and after being forced into the Warsaw ghetto, she begins fighting back with the Jewish resistance. Bina is fierce and unstoppable, even in the face of the most heartbreaking evil.
This was an area of WWII history that I did not know much about, but the author clearly did her research, as so much of what happened in this book is based on actual events. The story was riveting and made me want to learn more about these Jewish women resistance fighters! Thank you to NetGalley and Harper for the advance copy.

The Goddess of Warsaw is a captivating historical fiction read that follows the untold story of Hollywood star Lena Browning aka Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto. The writing was exquisite, the characters were well-developed, and even though I read a lot of Holocaust fiction, I found this to be a unique perspective.
Barr dives into the choices that people make in impossible situations, what one will do to save those they love, and has you contemplate whether you can just move on from the perils of the past without repercussions. When reading Barrs descriptions about Jewish life I got chills.
Read if interested in:
-WWII fiction
-Jewish history
-Suspense
-Hollywood movie making
Thank you Harprer Perrenial for the ARC! Pub 5/12

I requested to read “The Goddess of Warsaw” as I am a fan of historical fiction and Lisa Barr.
I read a lot of WWII/Holocaust fiction but nothing with this fresh perspective. Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew, and her family were forced to live in a Warsaw Ghetto, but Bina fights back by joining the Resistance and spying on the Nazis. After the war, she becomes changes into Lena Browning, becoming Hollywood star, but Lena isn’t able to completely cut the ties of her past as she seeks revenge against those who have harmed her.
I appreciated the theme of reinvention and truth and justice prevailing. Barr did her research, and her narration of Lena’s story is hauntingly evocative. I could not put this book down.
Four and a half out of five stars.
Thank you to Net Galley, Lisa Barr and the publisher for providing me with my ARC in exchange for a fair and honest review.

An absolute tour de force 5 star book! This is outstanding meticulously researched historical fiction (if you haven't read it yet, yes the facts really happened!) Think of this as a very intense Pam Jenoff or Kate Quinn type Holocaust novel with a big revenge thriller angle thrown in. Barr's writing and plotting just grows and grows. Rush to read, recommend and buy this one!