First published 2023
In November 1940, Adam Paskow finds himself trapped in the Warsaw Ghetto. A mysterious figure approaches him weeks later with an unusual proposal: join a clandestine group collecting testimonies from ghetto residents. Adam accepts and begins recording the stories of students, friends, and neighbors. He captures their memories of childhood, their dreams, their fears, and their desperate attempts to survive. Among those he interviews is Sala Wiskoff, his flatmate who is married with two children. Sala proves stoic, determined, and unexpectedly funny. Over months of confinement, Adam and Sala develop feelings for each other despite her family situation. Their connection becomes crucial to their survival as they create moments of intimacy within impossible circumstances. When Adam learns of a potential escape route from the ghetto, he confronts an agonizing decision about whom he can save and what sacrifices he must make.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, world-war-ii, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: enemies-to-lovers, found-family
Setting: Warsaw Ghetto
Period: 1940
304 pages · Hardcover · Algonquin Books
Content warnings: death, violence