The Last Woman of Warsaw: A Novel

by Judy Batalion

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.


* This audiobook edition includes a downloadable PDF of photos from the book.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, World War II, Poland, Jewish, Historical, Audiobook

Audible Audio

Published April 7, 2026

About the author

I love talking with readers - find me now on Skolay: skolay.com/writers/judy-batalion

Reviews

[Dana · Rating 3 out of 5]

Unfortunately, this is one of the most disjointed books I have read recently. I am rating up to give the author some credit for her research. The story involves two main characters living in Warsaw at the start of WWII. Fanny is a young Jewish socialite who is more interested in a photography career than in being a wife and mother. She needs an endorsement from a university professor named Wanda to get her career started. Zosia, also a young woman, moved to Warsaw from the country to participate in a resistance movement and hopes to move to Palestine but needs Wanda’s help to secure a visa. When Wanda is unexpectedly arrested, the unlikely pair of young women work together to free her while dealing with their own personal issues.
The story has a good premise and the author certainly researched the lives of several actual young women to develop her characters. But the story itself was all over the place. The characters were not introduced well and both were unlikable. I think she tried to “cram” too many actual people into two characters. Much of the story was completely unbelievable, such as Fanny and Zosia showing up at the prison where Wanda was kept and finagling a way to see her. There are so many examples of far-fetched situations that the book was just not engaging and not enjoyable to me. The epilogue was pretty good - at least it gave some closure. And I appreciated the author’s note about her research even though I think she could have picked less people to base her story on to develop the characters more fully.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the Advanced Reader Copy in exchange for an honest review. Opinions are my own.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

I quite enjoyed this historical fiction book by the Canadian author of the nonfiction bestseller, The light of days. This book is about a Jewish woman living in 1938 Poland as Hitler and the Nazi party are starting to take hold. The book explored a different side of Warsaw life than I'd read before - one of literary/academic Jewish women, one an aspiring photographer and another a rebel professor who gets imprisoned for being a 'Communist.' There's lots of parallels to our times, a great author's note included at the end and it was good on audio too. Recommended for fans of authors like Pam Jenoff.

[Janet Mabrey · Rating 1 out of 5]

Stopped reading a quarter of the way through. If I’m not enjoying a book by then, it’s not for me.
I didn’t find the two main characters relatable and the writing felt cumbersome and disjointed. The philosophical dialogue amongst the comrades in the youth movement just wasn’t my thing. It felt too much like course work in college.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very interesting historical novel set in Warsaw in 1938 and 1939. The main characters are Zosia and Fanny, two young Jewish women, who find themselves in the middle of the Jewish resistance against the anti Jewish sentiments of their non-Jewish neighbors and the Nazis who are slowly invading Polish society. Zosia is a country girl, whose small town was subjected to a pogrom and wants nothing more than to get a visa to leave Poland for the Jewish state. Fanny is from a wealthy family who has everything until she has nothing and, amidst the chaos of Warsaw, learns how to use her gift for photography to capture pictures of what is happening in Warsaw. Although their paths cross and then diverge, their stories, their hopes and their dreams capture the essence of the times in which they lived.

[Donna Lewis · Rating 2 out of 5]

I did not connect with this book at all. I am sure that the author did considerable research, but the characters did not interest me. I have read many other books about Warsaw and the heroic women there.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This historical novel is set in Warsaw, Poland in 1938 and 1939, from the point of view of two very different young Jewish women. Fanny comes from a rich family and is a student at the university, while Zosia comes from a small village and has moved to Warsaw after a pogrom in her town to join a Jewish youth movement. The two women’s lives intersect unexpectedly when Wanda Petrovsky - Fanny’s photography professor and a movement contact for Zosia - goes missing, and the two team up to try to find her and become friends despite their different backgrounds.

I’ve read multiple wonderful books set in the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII and initially assumed that’s what this book would be about, but this is actually not a war book at all. Rather, it’s about the lively and cultural city (the “Paris of the North”) and the vibrant and diverse Jewish community in Warsaw before Germany invaded. It also shows the growing antisemitism during this time, which came not just from the right wing but from left wing intellectuals as well, which unfortunately felt all too familiar to today’s world. But beyond the setting, it was a great story, and I loved these two young women and their unexpected friendship. Though we find out what happens to them via an epilogue, I actually would happily have read more or even a sequel about what happened next. And as befits an author who has previously written non-fiction (this is Batallion’s first novel); there’s also a great historical bore after the book explaining her inspiration and historical context.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for my e-ARC (out today!); all opinions are my own.

[Ryan Brandenburg · Rating 3 out of 5]

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I ended up liking this upcoming debut novel by Judy Batalion, but I wouldn’t say I always enjoyed the journey.

The novel revolves around two main characters, Fanny and Zosia, during the brief period before World War II erupted in Poland. Initially, I found it challenging to connect with these characters, especially Zosia. They weren’t particularly likable, and the author didn’t provide a compelling introduction to help the reader get to know them better.

Ultimately, I was much more engrossed in the story by the end. I found the perspective of Poland and its treatment of Jewish citizens at the time particularly compelling. While the writing is solid, I couldn’t help but wonder if the author’s primary focus on non-fiction might have contributed to the need for more editing when introducing the characters.

I will say that one of the strongest parts of this book was the epilogue, which nicely tied up all the loose ends and was quite emotional for the reader.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher, Dutton, for the opportunity to read and review this upcoming novel, which will be released on April 7, 2026. I’ll definitely be interested to see what other fiction this author writes in the future.

[Ayelet]

I tried and tried to care about these characters but I gave up halfway through. Why should I spend my time slogging through a book that doesn't capture my attention?

[Anna E · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book went nowhere.

[Kathy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am being generous in this 3 star rating, only because I know there was a lot of research involved in its writing.
I read some other reviews and feel better knowing I wasn't the only one who found difficulty in finishing it, connecting with it and actually liking the characters enough to get super involved.
I forced myself to continue reading, and found the last quarter of the book a bit easier to get through.
Not being Jewish or knowing the languages or words of numerous words popping up throughout the book began to bother me. Just explain it or include a glossary!!
My ancestors are Polish, so I wanted to read about this, although they were not from Warsaw. Reading that it was once the "little Paris" was quite interesting and new to me.
I realise the difficulties and atrocities people lived through. Unfortunately it feels like some of it is repeating itself today.

[Katie · Rating 1 out of 5]

Sadly, this book did not live up to my expectations. I was excited to read it but did not like the main characters and after 85 pages of picking it up and putting it down, I gave up.

[Megan Tiscareno · Rating 2 out of 5]

I loved the research behind the novel, but the novel itself lacked development and the characters were not calling to me.

[Laurel · Rating 2 out of 5]

I previously read the author's non fiction book "The Light of Days" which was a 5 star book.
Unfortunately, in my opinion, the author's attempt at fiction fell flat. The book was convoluted, disjointed, jumped from one place to other . The characters came and went. I learned very little.
The best part of the book was the author's notes at the end of the book which reflected her knowledge of historical Warsaw and the Holocaust. If only the novel could have been this coherent.

[Karen Brush · Rating 4 out of 5]

Poland comes alive before the occupation!

[Khrystyna Tymofii]

I had to DNF it , unfortunately.Very hard written.Usually love historical fiction,but didn't like this political party theme story.

[Ellen · Rating 4 out of 5]

This work of historical fiction was enlightening in many ways. My vision of interwar Poland is that of poor shtetl towns, and misery. In this novel,the story of both Zosia and Fanny reveal the Warsaw that was enlightened, filled with art and culture. The Jewish population made up 30% of the whole , with many involved with the university, education and the arts. Fanny was from a wealthy family, attending university but with ambition to become a photographer. Zosia was from a small town, escaping after a pogrom, joining one of the many youth movements in Warsaw encouraging migration to Israel. The two unlikely women become friends, and their journeys are complicated. I highly recommend this book, which provides a different and illuminating look at this time period. Thanks to Netgalley for the ARC.

[Nicole · Rating 4 out of 5]

A really well done story of intersecting lives and fighting for what you believe in.

[Terry · Rating 5 out of 5]

4.5

[Louise Sullivan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Last Woman of Warsaw is a book of historical fiction about two Jewish women who lived in Warsaw, Poland. The novel centers on Fanny who grew up in a wealthy, secular Jewish family and Zosia who grew up in the Polish countryside but moved to Warsaw to become involved in the left-leaning Zionist movement. Despite different backgrounds, the two became friends. The timeline of the novel takes place in 1938 to 1939 before the Nazis invaded Poland. I thought that this book did a very good job of describing Jewish Polish life before the War.

[Gwyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little disjointed. Did like learning about Poland before Germany invaded to start WW2.

[Deb Kiley · Rating 5 out of 5]

Set in late 1930s Warsaw, Fanny and Zosia end up becoming friends and putting their own needs aside to find photographer Wanda Petrovsky. Fanny needs her to sign off on changing her major at university to avoid getting married to someone she doesn't love and Zosia needs her to get a visa to British Palestine. I thoroughly enjoyed this debut novel and how these two young women had to navigate such challenging times. Fanny matured and learned how to stand up to her mother's wishes and focused on helping find Wanda. Zosia grew from only wanting to get her visa to focusing on the larger movement and helping Wanda get released from a cruel prison. I learned more about how Warsaw was dealing with the rise of Germany and the beginnings of the War. I came away from the book admiring the resiliency of the people of Poland.
I would recommend this for fans of historical fiction and those that want to experience more about Poland during this time period.
#TheLastWomanofWarsaw
Thank you Dutton, Plume, Tiny Reparations Books and Net Galley for a complimentary copy. All opinions expressed are my own.

[Jim Willse · Rating 4 out of 5]

A historian’s effort to bring a city alive through the lives of a group Jewish women in the “interwar” years, and in that way quite successful. The story is slow moving and the addendum a bit clumsy, but worth reading if you have an interest in the time.

[Debbie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating book telling a fictionalized story of two Jewish women living in Warsaw, the Paris of the east.

[Theresa Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you for the ARC! I have read a lot of historical fiction that takes place during WWII but this book was different, it took place in Poland before the Nazi’s occupied it. I enjoyed learning what life was like in Warsaw before the war through the eyes of two Jewish women. I appreciate being able to learn about this time period and how hard it already was for the Jewish people in Poland even before the Nazi’s appeared.

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thanks to the publisher, via Netgalley, for an advance e-galley for honest review.

The author's background in nonfiction writing and the depth of her research lend a feeling of authenticity and knowledge of her subject to this historical fiction work that is filled with detail and tension. Interesting characters and increasingly high stakes keep this moving.

[Marianne Burke · Rating 4 out of 5]

A fascinating look at pre-WW2 Warsaw through the eyes of two very different women.
A very different take on the various views of what was coming and how it could be fought.
This was an ARC. Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review.

[Picture_pretty_books · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.75 Only because I skimmed partly in the middle and the last 50ish pages and for me any book that I skim means it isn’t keeping my interest so is less than 3 star. But this rating does not reflect my thought on the writing or research. I would give that a 3.5-4.


Thank you Dutton for the gifted copy of The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion published Apr 7, 2026!

A professor goes missing as Poland is about to be invaded. Franny, student/photographer, and Zosiah, working with a Jewish movement, come together despite the opposites of their upbringing and try to rescue Wanda.

I had a difficult time connecting mostly because I’m not educated on the Drors and the story really drops you right in the center of it all. I would have benefitted from more information to ground me with the movement Zosiah joined, how, why. And it was hard to be on board with their search (beyond just wanting them to find her of course) because we had practically zero time with Wanda to start.

I hope others see this and pick it up if they enjoy WWII fiction. I skimmed the last 50ish pages so it is basically 3 stars. Again, it was very much a me thing that I felt so displaced and unsure from the get go.

The author does a fabulous job with the descriptive setting and it felt an accurate reflection of the political time and events. I think her past work has all been nonfiction. Fellow booksta friend @electric_bookaloo gave this 4 star, check out her review!!

______
Other recommended reading:

🇪🇸 The Fountains of Silence by Ruta Sepetys
For its descriptive writing and use of photography but Madrid, 1957 (5 ⭐️)

🇳🇱 To Die Beautiful by Buzzy Jackson
For showing how young people made a difference but a Dutch woman joining the resistance (5 ⭐️)

🇵🇹 The Librarians of Lisbon by Suzanne Nelson
For its blend of two female spies and friends with a bit of a love story as well (3 ⭐️)

[MicheleReader · Rating 5 out of 5]

After World War I, Poland had gained its independence, and prospects appeared promising. Women had the right to vote, and the country was ethnically diverse. Although most people were poor, Warsaw was a vibrant city filled with arts and culture. However, as right-wing nationalism and Nazi ideology spread, everything started changing, particularly affecting Poland's Jewish community. In 1938, Fanny Zelshinsky, raised in an affluent household, was preparing to get married. She was studying French at the University but found her greatest joy in photography. Fanny hoped her professor, Wanda Petrovsky, would approve her request to change her major. Wanda was also a leader in a Zionist Youth Movement, serving as a mentor to Zosia Tarnovsky, who was hoping to secure a highly sought-after visa to travel to British Palestine. When it becomes evident that Wanda is missing, the two twenty-year-old Jewish women from very different backgrounds band together to find out what happened to her.

Judy Batalion, the author of The Light of Days, a nonfiction account of women resistance fighters in the Polish ghettos, has written her first novel, The Last Woman of Warsaw. In this book, Batalion provides a realistic depiction of life in Warsaw just as the world was about to turn upside down. Fanny seems to have all the advantages a young woman could ask for, while Zosia, from a poor religious home, selflessly dedicates herself to the establishment of a Jewish homeland. Their unlikely friendship becomes a source of strength for both of them. Set before the onset of the war, the story provides a fascinating window into life in Warsaw as antisemitism started bubbling up to the surface. If you seek historical fiction from this period, be sure to check out this engaging book.

Many thanks to Dutton for the advance.

4.5 stars.

Review posted on MicheleReader.com.

[Cindy Stein · Rating 5 out of 5]

Two young Jewish women living in Poland in the late 1930s: one, a wealthy young university student smitten with photography and her professor; the other, a recent arrival from the shtetl and member of the Zionist youth group, Dror, determined to get a visa to the Holy Land. The two, Fanny and Zosia, end up crossing paths and slowly come together to find out why the professor is missing and what has become of her. Fanny wants the professor to change her major from French to art so she can enter photos in a prestigious exhibit. Zosia wants the professor to help get her a visa to leave Poland.

Each woman, as different as they are, is a member of a unique generation of independent thinkers siphoned into various youth organizations and political perspectives. Fanny starts out as an assimilationist, a member of the aristocracy and not particularly Jewish-identified. But as antisemitism becomes more threatening in Poland, even before the war, she begins to understand that wealth and assimilation cannot protect her. Zosia undergoes her own arc of change as she loosens her hold on various types of disciplines she's held to in order to be a single-minded Zionist.

This novel, written by a historian who published a non-fiction book about Jewish women in wartime Poland, is highly engaging and well written. There's so much we learn about the culture of 1930s Warsaw, called "the Paris of the North," and the slow march toward fascism in Poland. Before the war, 30% of Warsaw's residents were Jews, and only 4% of all of Poland's Jews survived the war. This book is a reminder of what was lost and a testament to the strength and determination of an incredible generation of young Jews.

I was provided an ARC by the publsher via NetGalley

[Jordan Lynch · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Last Woman of Warsaw was back and forth for me.

I really enjoyed the look at pre-WWII Warsaw and how the Jewish population in the city was so diverse. From Jews that were fully assimilated to those who were actively working towards getting to Jewish Palestine, there was a wide range of attitudes, behaviors, and motivations. But as anti-Semitic views grew stronger, everyone began to work together and lean on each other to keep everyone safe. I'd never read a story set during this time period rather than during the Nazi occupation or after the war, and the details and stories of people (fictional, but based on real people) were interesting.

What I didn't enjoy were the two lead characters, Fanny and Zosia. The two women had very different attitudes towards their Jewish heritage, but they found commonality and became friends. The work they did made a difference not only in Warsaw before and during the war, but the epilogue is a nice ending that shows how their lives impacted others even a few generations later. However, I didn't actually like either woman. Fanny was entitled and silly; even when she became more serious and driven, she still annoyed me. And Zosia was very one-track to getting to Jewish Palestine. While both women had significant character development by the end of the story, I still didn't particularly like either of them.

Regardless, The Last Woman of Warsaw is an interesting historical look at a time period and a location that I haven't read before in the breadth of WWII fiction and will appeal to those looking for unique WWII novels.