Historical fiction books set during the Holocaust are often difficult to review. The subject matter is so sensitive and tragic and it has been written about so much in recent years. However, it’s still such a rich setting for novels, so I think it’s important to keep reading these books and critiquing them appropriately.

“We Must Not Think of Ourselves” (written by Lauren Grodstein) follows Adam Paskow, a Polish Jew who ends up being tasked with the job of archiving people’s experiences in the Warsaw ghetto. The character is fictional, but is based on a real-life group called Oneg Shabbat who had the goal to preserve and document the lives of the Jewish people in the ghetto during that time. Adam interviews several people during his time there (mostly his friends and housemates) to try to understand them better and to have a record of their stories. The story also covers Adam’s life with his wife, Kasia, who died before the war even began and his current fight to survive while so many Jews were dying around him.

I felt like the book really came alive when Adam was interviewing people. Everyone’s stories were heartfelt and depicted what life was like for many Polish Jews before and during the war. I did feel like there was a bit too much back and forth with time periods though – every time there was a scene about Adam’s wife or his life before the war, I felt disconnected from the story. I was also disappointed in how little closure there was for many characters – the book ended abruptly too. I would have loved some kind of epilogue that described the fate of all of the characters, Adam especially. I understand that for many people the Holocaust caused this kind of uncertainty – people didn’t always know what fate befell their neighbors or friends. But as a reader, I was left wondering too much for the story to feel satisfying in the end.

Grodstein is a very capable writer, especially when she’s depicting heartbreaking scenes of violence or inhumanity. These scenes were written with the right amount of shock and horror (and even respect for the victims). I just wish there had been more of a focus on the interviews and the Oneg Shabbat project and less scenes set in Adam’s past. Tying up those loose ends also would have made this novel more successful in my eyes.

3.5 stars

*Free ARC provided by Netgalley and Algonquin Books in exchange for an honest review*