The Goddess of Warsaw

A Novel

By: Lisa Barr

Narrated by: Jane Oppenheimer

USA TODAY BESTSELLER

“Utterly gripping. . . a transformative and immersive story so powerful and captivating that I could not put it down. . . . Truly one of the best books I’ve read.”—Liv Constantine, bestselling author of The Last Mrs. Parrish

“Lisa Barr's new historical fiction, The Goddess of Warsaw, gifts the reader with jaw-dropping moments worthy of a Tarantino film, a story that could not be more timely, and a heroine whose ferocity and valor knows no bounds.”—Natalie Jenner, author of the instant international bestseller The Jane Austen Society

The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling tale of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret about her life in the Warsaw Ghetto. When the famous actress is threatened by someone from her past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now.

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.

A gripping work of one of history’s most heroic uprisings and an actress whose personal war never ends, The Goddess Of Warsaw is filled with secrets, lies, twists and turns, and a burning pursuit of justice no matter the cost.

©2024 Lisa Barr (P)2024 HarperCollins Publishers

Too much fictionalization of real events

As a holocaust educator, I had problems with some of the fictionalization those of us who know about the archives and the Warsaw ghetto uprising, maybe struck by the omission of names like Blum and Mordechai Analewiez. The double life that she led as an actress and an avenger did not ring true

Realistic

I could feel Bina's emotions. All of them. This is the first time I cried listening to a fictional story based on true events. It gave me hope to not give up even when things are extremely agonizing.

Couldn’t stop listening

When I was growing up and learning about the Holocaust I was dumbfounded how people could be so evil and brutally kill people for their religious beliefs. Fast forward to today in our current political state and the tensions between individuals, it is shocking to see similarities. While a historical fiction book is not what I typically listen to I was help captivated by the story. I would encourage others to listen and get curious about the past so we do not repeat.

The story was amazing

Loved all the characters! Loved the story the entire time captivating, exciting, emotional, and rewarding!

In desperation, we will do anything to survive

A heart wrenching story, all too true. With the incoming Trump administration, we may be forced to use this as a guidebook how to survive fascism. We must resist this tyranny and make sure that humanity & democracy survive

One of the best!!!

One of the best books I have read. Breathtaking, moving and extremely important. Bravo!!! Bravo!!!

compelling

loved the story weaving through history and the relevance in todays' world of anti sematism

a strong , beautiful and very clever woman was in charge of her destiny as much as possible under the circumstance.

I loved the many ways the main character used her acting training and beauty to achieve her goals.

Great mix of history and fiction

Well researched, very plausible interesting characters. It was a fast read/ listen and worth the time.

AMAZING!!!

I loved it all. I was mesmerized and horrified. I could not stop listening. I could not put it away. Bravo bravo!