“𝐎𝐧𝐜𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐝𝐞𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐞 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐚𝐫𝐞 𝐧𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫 𝐚 𝐥𝐚𝐦𝐛 𝐛𝐮𝐭 𝐚 𝐰𝐨𝐥𝐟, 𝐞𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐲𝐭𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐜𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬.”

Wow, I’m blown away! Bina is such a fierce actress/wife turned spy and assassin. I was rooting for her the whole time. She is a new favorite character of mine!

What a poignant and powerful tale of resilience, love, perseverance, and survival set against the harrowing backdrop of World War II. I love reading historical fiction about lesser known events from the past. I never knew about Operation Paperclip or the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising.

The author paints a haunting and grim picture of the atrocities faced by the Jewish inhabitants of Warsaw during the Holocaust. Amidst the darkness, however, she expertly shows moments of human connection and bravery. This novel is not just historical fiction, but a heart pounding and suspenseful narrative about the will to survive against all odds.

Lisa Barr’s 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘎𝘰𝘥𝘥𝘦𝘴𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘞𝘢𝘳𝘴𝘢𝘸 is a novel that not only educates but also emotionally moves the reader. It is a tribute to the resilience of the human spirit and a timely reminder of the horrific costs of war. This is historical fiction at its absolute finest—gripping, heartfelt, and truly unforgettable.

“𝐈’𝐦 𝐧𝐨𝐭 𝐚 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐡. 𝐈’𝐦 𝐚𝐧 𝐚𝐯𝐞𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐫. 𝐓𝐡𝐞𝐫𝐞’𝐬 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐟𝐟𝐞𝐫𝐞𝐧𝐜𝐞.”

Told in three parts, Lisa Barr’s The Goddess of Warsaw is a captivating story surrounding the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising of 1943. It is a story that doesn’t hide from the atrocities and horrors of war and it is heartbreaking.

2005: Lena Browning is a Hollywood star at the end of her career while Sienna Hayes is an actress at the beginning of hers. Sienna seeks Lena out because she wants to write, direct, and act in a film based on Lena’s life story. Lena agrees. What follows is a story of sacrifice, bravery, love, and revenge.

Part 1: 1943, Warsaw - Bina Blonski, an Aryan-looking Jewish woman, becomes a spy and assassin for the Polish Resistance in the months leading up to the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising
Part 2: 1956, Hollywood - A decade later, Lena Browning is Hollywood’s leading lady. Yet she cannot escape the memories of her past and is determined to enact revenge on the Nazis that escaped Europe after the war.
Part 3: 2005 - Nearing the end of her life, Bina returns to Warsaw with Sienna for one final performance.

I had planned to take my time reading this and savor Lisa Barr’s storytelling but that didn’t work out for me because once I picked it up, I couldn’t put it down. I’ve come to expect no less from one of her books. Five stars all around.

Lena Browning is a legendary Hollywood actress who has decided now is the time to tell all her dark secrets. Because before she was Lena Browning of Hollywood, she was Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto. As Lena's story takes us back to those days, she tells how she survived. Even now that she's safely ensconsed in Hollywood, Lena/Bina is determined to take her revenge on the Nazis who also escaped justice and live alongside her.

This historical fiction novel is a definite hit. It's filled with tension and action, but also heartbreak and sadness. It has a big "just one more chapter" factor and I devoured this book in just 4 days.

This is my second book by Lisa Barr and I look forward to more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for providing me with an advance digital copy in exchange for an honest review.

Available May 28, 2024.

The Goddess of Warsaw
By: Lisa Barr
Review Score: 4 1/2 Stars

Boogie’s Bulletpoints
•I LOVE the time jumps as we learn Lena’s story.

•The time in the Warsaw Ghetto was heartbreaking.

•It was so interesting to see Lena’s time in Hollywood after the war (and all of her various pursuits).

•No spoilers, but the ending was so well done.

——————————————————————————————

The Goddess of Warsaw was kindly provided as an ARC by Netgalley and Harper Perennial. Thank you for allowing me to enjoy this wonderful book!

Release Date: 5/28/24

Wow. This book was incredible. The character development, the intensity of the story, all of the layers…wow. I was hooked from the moment I started this book. I wanted to know what was going to happen, and how Lena ended up as a Hollywood star.

Barr’s writing of the Warsaw Ghetto and the uprising was so heartbreaking. You could feel every emotion of every character. It was so well done.

If you like Historical Fiction, I highly suggest you check out The Goddess of Warsaw!

#bookstagram #books #readingnow #boogiereadsbooks #fivekeyfeels #audiobooks #audiobook #historicalfiction #arcreview #netgalley #boogiesbulletpoints #thegoddessofwarsaw #lisabarr #harperperennial

4.5 of 5. The Goddess of Warsaw is an engrossing historical novel that will be in high demand by readers of all genres. It tells the story of a wealthy, beautiful Jewish actress in WWII Poland who has the good/bad fortune of looking Aryan. Confined to the ghetto in Warsaw, Bina becomes involved in the Jewish resistance movement, playing key roles both inside and outside of the ghetto by supplying arms to the brave souls who mount a surprisingly successful but short-lived uprising against their Nazi captors. She commits unthinkable deeds and is faced with unthinkable ethical choices. She miraculously survives the war and emigrates to the US, where she has a long career as a Hollywood "femme fatale." Now in her 80s, she is the subject of a movie that will tell her true story, a story she has kept under wraps while she continued to carry out her original mission. Barr does a masterful job of bringing the ghetto uprising story to life. It rings true when set against the stories of the few uprising survivors I've had the honor of knowing. There are parts of the more contemporary story, however, that seem far-fetched. Most readers will be forgiving of these flaws and fans of historical fiction will be lining up to read The Goddess of Warsaw.

OMG! Kudos to Lisa Barr, the Author of “The Goddess of Warsaw” for writing such a memorable, captivating, heart stopping and thought-provoking novel. Lisa Barr is a master storyteller, and in this engrossing well-written story, the author vividly describes the plot, the landscape, and the dramatic and colorful characters. The genres for this novel are Historical Fiction, Historical Thriller, Women’s Literary Fiction, World War Two, and The Holocaust.

The woman protagonist in the story goes by several names. Known as “The Goddess of Warsaw”, leading and well-known actress Lena Browning, was also Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew, living in Warsaw Poland when it was a ghetto. Lena harbors dark deep secrets. Bina is married, but has always loved her husband’s brother. Bina loved to act, and with her Aryan features played great parts, while one of her best friends was also an actor that didn’t get the leading parts because of what was viewed as a physical liability. When the Nazis destroyed her family, Bina was determined to fight back. Bina becomes a spy and assassin, getting access to weapons.

Indirectly, Lena used her acting skills to survive and get revenge on those people who destroyed her family and caused horrific, tragic historical events. More than a decade later, Lena becomes a famous actress. There are twists and turns, danger, blackmail and murder. Lena finds herself going into survival mode again, when she is threatened and blackmailed. There are Nazis that are living well after the war, and Lena is determined to destroy them.

I loved everything about “The Goddess of Warsaw” and highly recommend this memorable book. It is on my shelf to read again. Lisa Barr reminds us to “Never Forget”. This is a definite must read! Be sure to have some Kleenex on hand.

Like I always say, I love a good historical novel but they are hard to come by. I get bored so easily that a book, especially a historical one, has to grab me from the beginning and Lisa Barr’s novel, The Goddess of Warsaw captured my attention from the opening chapter.

The story centers around an actress named Lena Browning aka Bina Blonski, a Polish Jewish woman who survived the Warsaw Ghetto. I really cannot even imagine living through the horrors. I appreciate books like this that shed light on this time in history. This is entertaining and Bina was a force to be reckoned with.

Synopsis:

Los Angeles, 2005. Sienna Hayes, Hollywood’s latest It Girl, has ambitions to work behind the camera. When she meets Lena Browning, the enormously mysterious and famous Golden Age movie star, Sienna sees her big break. She wants to direct a picture about Lena’s life—but the legendary actor’s murky past turns out to be even darker than Sienna dreamed. Before she was a Living Legend, Lena Browning was Bina Blonski, a Polish Jew whose life and family were destroyed by the Nazis.

Warsaw, 1943. A member of the city’s Jewish elite, Bina Blonski and her husband, Jakub, are imprisoned in the ghastly, cramped ghetto along with the rest of Warsaw’s surviving Jews. Determined to fight back against the brutal Nazis, the beautiful, blonde Aryan-looking Bina becomes a spy, gaining information and stealing weapons outside the ghetto to protect her fellow Jews. But her dangerous circumstances grow complicated when she falls in love with Aleksander, an ally in resistance—and Jakub’s brother. While Lena accomplishes amazing feats of bravery, she sacrifices much in the process.

Over a decade after escaping the horrors of the ghetto, Bina, now known as Lena, rises to fame in Hollywood. Yet she cannot help but be reminded of her old life and hungers for revenge against the Nazis who escaped justice after the war. Her power and fame as a movie star offer Lena the chance to right the past’s wrongs . . . and perhaps even find the happy ending she never had.

Out on May 21

This book was gripping from the start and I this was so unputdownable. Actress Lena Browning made a huge name for herself in movies, so much so an up and coming actress wants to make a movie about Lena's life. Not knowing how dark Lena's past was - she was formerly known as Bina, a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw ghetto during the Holocaust. How Bina survived was often times horrific, but war is a horrific thing. Thank you to NetGalley and Harper Perennial and Paperbacks for a chance to read this early in exchange for an honest review.

⭐️: 4.5/5

When Sienna Hayes, Hollywood’s current It Girl, acts upon her ambitions to work behind the camera as a director, she meets Lena Browning, the famous Golden Age movie star, in order to convince her to allow Sierra to direct and star in a biopic of Lena’s life. Lena agrees, but has a few stipulations of her own, first and foremost being that the movie depicts her entire life accurately, including her buried past as a Polish Jew who survived the Warsaw Ghetto after her parents were killed by the Nazis, along with a few other secrets and lies she has told in the pursuit of justice.

I went into this one in the mood for a WWII historical fiction book, having not had too much luck truly getting into some from other eras in history, so going back to the source of my love for historical fiction seemed like a good idea. I love the structure of historical fiction books like this, where the story starts closer to the end than the beginning, then we go back to the beginning to catch us up. In this case, I do kind of wish that there were a few more uses of this dual timeline, since the story is actually told pretty linearly, past the prologue. Especially in the case of this story, with so many plot twists and secret plans, I think it could have been told in dual timelines to a greater impact. But I don’t want to take away too much from how engrossing this book was. Bina’s life was such a page turner, and I loved how even once you felt like you knew where the story was going at the end, you’re still in for a few more surprises. This was a great historical fiction book, and I recommend it to all lovers of the genre!

Thank you to @netgalley and @harperperennial for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!!

What an amazing book! This is seriously one of the best books I've ever read about World War II and the Holocaust specifically -- and one of the most unique as it focuses on one woman's will to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto, and then on her life after the war. The book shifts between time periods, beginning in 2005 with Lena Browning, a famous actress, working with a younger (yet still famous) actress on a movie about her life. Lena goes back in time and tells of her survival in the Warsaw Ghetto which mainly takes place through her work fighting against the Nazis. Some of her story was so painful and difficult to read. It was dark and depressing, but so were those times. Sometimes people ask me why I read about these sort of things, and I feel that it is important to so that we don't forget what happened in the recent past, so it is not repeated, and so the humanity and memory of those who were lost is not erased.

Lena (born Bina Blonski) was fierce, dedicated to saving herself and her people, and stopped at nothing. During the war she made hard choices about who to save, how to protect herself, and dealt with many ethical questions along the way. To her surprise, some of that continued after the war. And this is where my ethical questions come in. Were Lena's actions once she emigrated to the United States, erased her history, and started over justified? Her reinvention certainly was -- but was her vow for justice? I understand her desire (as much as possible, given that I've never lost my family and everything I have in such an evil manner), but I question the outcome.

That being said, this was a remarkable book and definitely worth the read. It is so well written -- the tension just flows off the page. It is hard to put down, and will keep you thinking about the story whenever you have to go back to reality. This excellent book touches on every human emotion. It is a lovely book, a tough read, and well worth your time. I'll have to read more of Lisa Barr's work.

Thank you to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for this eARC. All opinions are my own.

The story opens in 2005 with legendary actress Lena Browning, telling her dark, daring past to an actress who wants to star in and direct a biopic about Lena. It then flashes forward to Lena’s time in the Warsaw Ghetto.

There, Bina Blonski as she was known at the time, narrates a story of persistence and sacrifice within the Ghetto walls. Torn between two brothers and with an instinct for survival, Bina uses her Arayan looks and skills as an actress to work for the resistance.

Eventually, the story returns to 2005 and post-war Hollywood where we learn how Bina became Lena and how Lena has always continued the fight against those who seek her annihilation.

Why I Love It: This is the best story I’ve ever read about the Holocaust because it depicts Jewish people, particularly women, as fierce fighters determined to prove their right to exist. I was inspired and awed by both the writing and the characters.

I laughed, cried, screamed in frustration, and was on the edge of my seat throughout. The tension was so high at times I found myself fidgeting, walking around, and wringing my hands. I’ll be recommending this book for years to come. It’s an absolute must-read.

The best way to describe this book is 'Evelyn Hugo meets The Book of Lost Names with elements of Hamilton sprinkled in (Angelica stepping aside for her Eliza... you'll see). I liked this book but I hate to admit that it also felt a little disjointed for me - there was just so much going on and most of it seemed highly implausible. I just couldn't feel totally invested in this book and I can't put my finger on why - perhaps if we got to know the characters a little better in the beginning I would have felt more connected to them, but it just quickly jumped into Bina pining for her brother in law, which in my mind played too strong of a role considering everything going on around them.

There were definitely aspects I liked though - who wouldn't appreciate a female Jewish resistance fighter turned actress who goes on to hunt Nazis after the war?! There was a lot to unpack in this book and the ending was wild - definitely a different take on a WWII historical fiction novel and I'm definitely not sad I read it. I also liked that it touched on Operation Paperclip, something I learned of when I read Kelly Rimmer's 'The German Wife' so I was intrigued when it made an appearance in this book as well. Overall a solid WWII historical fiction, I just wish I felt more feelings.

This is the best piece of Holocaust Historical Fiction I've read. Lisa Barr completely knocks it out of the park. It is gripping and horrifying (as any book set during the Holocaust should be). It centers Jewish voices and highlights Jewish resistance. This was a hard read, particularly given the current rise in antisemitism worldwide. And, I HIGHLY RECOMMEND it. FIVE STARS.

Barr takes us from Hollywood to Warsaw and back again, highlighting the courage and perseverance of her heroine Lena Browning. And Lena is quite the FMC to root for. Early on Lena describes herself: "Let's be clear. I am not a star. I am a comet--a ball of gas, rock, and debris camouflaged in a spray of light."

In a world filled with so much hate toward Jews this quote really resonated with me:

"Scared? Hah! Fear is the heart of the whole damn story, young lady. I learned long ago that the secret to fighting back is to become empowered. If you run on fear, you lose, period."

Yes, times are scary. But thanks to Barr's powerful words I'll continue to remind myself to be a comet, to channel fear into empowerment, to make this world a better place.

Thank you, Lisa, for this story. For bearing witness to the atrocities of the Holocaust. For amplifying the voices of heroic Jews who stood up to hate.

This is a fast moving historical fiction novel that packs in many horrific scenes of Nazi abuse during the siege of the Warsaw Ghetto and eventual exterimination of the Jewish population trapped in the area. We meet an actress Bina Blonski who can pass for Aryan and uses her sexuality and appearance to smuggle in food and supplies. Bina also uses sex as a weapon to get what she wants. The first half of the book takes place in the ghetto and Lisa Barr packs in scene after scene of death and misery. What is odd that Bina is in love with her husband's brother which becomes an adjacent storyline with snapshots of soft erotica. Moving ahead to the 1950s, Bina has escaped and re-invents herself as Lena Browning, a legendary It Girl in Hollywood. The novel moves fast and readers may have to suspend disbelief when details of clothing and makeup scrounged up in the ghetto are countered with murders. The writing is cinematic and could be a candidate for a television mini-series.

Goddess of Warsaw follows Lena Browning, a renown Hollywood actress who is finally ready to reveal her secrets to the world as her life is drawing to a close. Because unbeknownst to everyone Lena is actually Bina Blonski, survivor of the Warsaw Ghetto, daughter, wife, lover, actress and assassin. And before her time is done Bina has one more starring role to play

This book felt like a brutal, but necessary read given the continuous rise in antisemitism in the US and around the world. It is clear that Lisa has done her research well when it came to the Warsaw Ghetto uprising and the conditions in the ghetto prior to the rising. The book isn’t gory, but it doesn’t have to be to make the reader break out into chills. Through Bina, we see what a person might be willing to do if everything they valued and saw as integral to their identity has been stripped from them. As the reader, we see the incredible courage of ordinary people in impossible circumstances. We see those who would become righteous of the nations in the characters of Stach and Petra. But in reading the Goddess of Warsaw and seeing Bina abused and taken advantage of by those who had once been her neighbors I felt like I was truly getting an answer to the question of how those living near Auschwitz could have claimed ignorance.

Goddess of Warsaw not only captures the horrors of the Holocaust, but also the scars carried by survivors long after the war was over. It also touches on a major stain in US history ie its acceptance of Nazi scientists after the war.

If you are looking to understand both the seeds and the horrors of the Holocaust, have a box of tissues near by, but please pick up this book

Hollywood legend Lena Browning is visited in 2005 by beautiful movie star Sienna Hayes, who wants to direct and star in a movie about Browning's life. The 85-year-old actress agrees to open up for the first time and begins her incredible story in 1943. Lena's name is really Bina Blonski, a Jewish woman imprisoned in the Warsaw Ghetto with her husband Jakub along with his brother Aleksander, who has lost his wife and child to the Nazis. Bina is blond and able to pass as an Aryan woman. Her determination to survive and help others transforms Bina into a clever and fierce member of the resistance. Even after she finds her way to the United States and becomes a star, her desire for revenge is never forgotten.

One of my favorite books of 2022 was Lisa Barr's Women on Fire. I couldn't wait to read The Goddess of Warsaw, which was the first book on my 2024 must-read list. Bina/Lena is an unforgettable character. After finishing it, I had to let my feelings settle as I was so affected by this moving and suspenseful story. The tragedy of WWII and the Holocaust has been told many, many times including accounts of the horrors within the Warsaw Ghetto. While I'm a big historical fiction fan, I have to take long breaks between reading books about this heartbreaking era. It takes a wonderful author like Barr to create a story that is a true standout and worth the tears. So, grab a box of Kleenex and don't wait to read it.

It is sure to be one of my 2024 favorites.

I just finished “The Goddess of Warsaw” by Lisa Barr and all I can say is Wow! I save 5 Star reviews for the best of the best and this is one that I will remember for a long time.
The book is a WW2 Historical Fiction about Bina Blonski a polish jew who after the war fled to Hollywood and became the “it girl” known as Lena Browning. As the story opens she is near the end of her life and is being interviewed by a young actress who wants to tell her true story and also portray her in a movie. We learn intimately about what it took to survive in the Warsaw Ghetto during the nazi occupation. The intensity of the events of her life caused every emotion I had to surface and has given me new admiration for everyone who survived and the unimaginable heroic efforts of those who lost their lives. While I have read many books about this time in history I have never read one like this!
Thank you Ms.Barr for your exceptional prose and for telling this story, I know it could not have been easy to get it on paper but it’s a story that must be told!

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Perennial for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

“Survival is not heroic; it is ugly. All those things you would never do in a normal, moral, refined life is now your only way of life” Before Lena Browning was Hollywood’s leading lady and “it girl” She was Bina Blonksi, from a wealthy Jewish Polish Family. Her family was destroyed by the Nazis and she was sent to the Warsaw Ghetto where she was imprisoned with the rest of Warsaw’s Jewish population. Bina used her blond Aryan looks to become a spy and an assassin. She finds herself having to make impossible choices for her own survival and the survival of those she loves. Barr draws you in with her well developed and layered characters. I couldn’t put this book down.

Fantastic book. As would be expected,based on the topic, parts are very hard to read. I am also very curious if this is a novel or historical fiction. It is being described as historical fiction but I’m thinking that is just based on the Warsaw ghetto uprising and not based on the characters. I am hoping that once it is released we will learn more about that. I highly recommend this book. Great characters, good twists even if at times they are a bit far fetched and very well written.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an early release in exchange for a fair and honest review.

Wow. Just Wow. Easily one of the best books I have read this year, Lisa Barr is easily and quickly becoming one of my favorite new authors! I loved the main character, Bina Blonski, and could imagine myself being her friend! Her courage was inspiring and I couldn't turn the pages fast enough to learn her story and to see what she would do next. Thrilling, heartbreaking, and wonderful, I am so grateful to have been able to read this as an ARC, and my hardcover copy is already pre-ordered. I highly recommend this book to everyone!