Thursday, July 14, 2022

"The Teacher of Warsaw", by Mario Escobar



In his latest Mario Escobar dramatizes the real-life of Janusz Korczak and his work protecting orphans in the Warsaw ghetto. Under the Nazi their hardships increased and all had to deal with overcrowding, typhus and chronic hunger. Korczak did his best to keep the children’s spirits up even as rumors swirl about Jewish people to be relocated to Treblinka.....This is the story of a hero.

The book begins on the eve of WW11 and doesn’t end well.

Not surprisingly this is a difficult book to read mainly I knew from page one how it would unfold. Even if I had read many stories in the past, the unimaginable Nazi brutality and sadness that surround the events are hard to take. I was touched by the amazing optimism and resiliency of human beings in the midst of chaos and how a remarkable single person can touch the lives of so many.

“The Teacher of Warsaw” is a powerful and emotional story of a spiritual leader who sacrificed himself for others. Mario Escobar brings this extraordinary man to life through his interpretation of Korczak’s notes and dairies. We follow this caring man slowly protecting his flock and doing the impossible to get food and shelter till the very end when he accompanied them to Treblinka....

This historical fiction has graphic scenes everything one would expect from a WW11 book although I did found the story hard to get in to: was it because it is so slowly said and narration seemed to turn in circle rehashing the same old things. It didn’t flow as well as Mr. Escobar’s other books and unfortunately the end couldn’t come fast enough for me. Leaving me with mixed feelings, up to you to give it a go or not....

I received a copy of this book from harper Muse via Netgalley for my thoughts

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