The Last Woman of Warsaw - by Judy Batalion (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

A debut novel by the critically acclaimed New York Times bestselling author of The Light of Days, following two very different Jewish women in Warsaw in the late 1930s as they unexpectedly come together in their search for love, meaning, and a sense of home, and as they grapple with the storm clouds gathering around them

1938: Fanny Zelshinsky is a sophisticated, modern daughter of the city's Jewish elite who wants nothing more than to be recognized as a legitimate artist by her family, her radical professor whom she idolizes, and the world at large. And all while she wonders if she is really going to go through with her wedding.

Meanwhile, Zosia Dror has left behind her small northeastern shtetl and religious family in the wake of violence. Part of a budding youth movement that believes in social equality and creating a Jewish homeland, all she wants is to not get distracted by the glitz and hubbub of the city--or by the keen eyes of a certain tall, handsome comrade.

When legendary artist Wanda Petrovsky--both a member of Zosia's movement leadership and Fanny's beloved photography professor--goes missing, the two young women are thrown together in the pursuit of the elusive firebrand. Is Wanda simply hiding, or is her disappearance connected to the rise in antisemitic laws and university practices? Fanny and Zosia may be the most unlikely of allies, but they must bridge their differences to help someone they both care for--and dodge the danger mounting around them in the process.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Last Woman of Warsaw
"This captivating novel is exactly what has been missing from so much 'Holocaust fiction.' Batalion gives these extraordinary women back their lives--and not just lives, but the full and profound and contradictory and vibrant worlds they worked so hard to build. I loved these brilliant women and it was amazing to be invited into the world they created."
--Dara Horn, author of People Love Dead Jews

"Following her New York Times bestselling account of Jewish women in the Polish resistance during the Second World War, The Light of Days, Judy Batalion has crafted The Last Woman of Warsaw, a powerhouse debut historical fiction novel about two unlikely women who come together in prewar Poland to solve the puzzle of a third who has gone missing. Batalion masterfully harnesses her command of the era with nuanced writing to deliver a powerful tale, combining the harbinger of world events to come with female empowerment and a spine-tingling mystery. Brava!"
--Pam Jenoff, New York Times Bestselling Author of Last Twilight in Paris

"Judy Batalion's debut novel sets a shimmering new standard for historical fiction. With a peerless gift for impeccable research and an extraordinary talent for capturing detail, Batalion transports readers to 1930s Poland with a few masterful strokes of her pen. The Warsaw she creates is as dazzling as Paris and as sophisticated as New York. Through Fanny and Zosia--two special women from opposite ends of Polish Jewish society, Batalion captures the confusing contradictions and heartbreaking truths of this moment in time. How can a world that values art and beauty so highly embrace so much hatred and ugliness? The Last Woman of Warsaw is a genuine masterpiece, and Judy Batalion is a genius."
--Lynda Cohen Loigman, USA Today Bestselling Author of The Matchmaker's Gift and The Love Elixir of Augusta Stern

"Bold and fierce. Batalion's meticulous research shines. The Last Woman of Warsaw follows two very different Jewish women drawn together by loyalty, danger and the woman they refuse to abandon. A powerful reminder of how ordinary courage -- and women supporting women -- shaped history in a moment that feels raw, real, and essential."
--Rachel Barenbaum, author of Atomic Anna and A Bend in the Stars

About the Author

Judy Batalion is the author of several books of award-winning nonfiction, most recently The Light of Days. Judy's work has appeared in New York Times, the Washington Post, Vogue, the Forward, Salon, the Jerusalem Post, and many other publications.