Reviewed by BERNIE BELLAN Here’s a recipe for a great novel: Take one part story of an aging Hollywood former screen star, add in a second part World War II backstory revolving around the Warsaw Ghetto, and finish it with a third part Jewish revenge on Nazis story (remember Quentin Tarantino’s “Inglorious Basterds”) – and you have all the makings of a fabulously good read.
Such is the case with a recently released novel titled “The Goddess of Warsaw,” by American Lisa Barr.
According to the bio on her website, Lisa Barr is the “New York Times and USA TODAY bestselling author of, in addition to THE GODDESS OF WARSAW , WOMAN ON FIRE, THE UNBREAKABLES, and FUGITIVE COLORS. Lisa served as an editor for The Jerusalem Post, managing editor of Today’s Chicago Woman, managing editor of Moment magazine, and as an editor/reporter for the Chicago Sun-Times. Among the highlights of her career, Lisa covered the famous “handshake” between the late Israeli Prime Minister Yitzhak Rabin, the late PLO leader Yasser Arafat, and President Bill Clinton at the White House. Lisa has been featured on Good Morning America and Today for her work as an author and journalist. Actress Sharon Stone has optioned rights to adapt WOMAN ON FIRE for film.”

I was looking for a recently published book by a Jewish author that had an interesting storyline, but since I had never read anything by Lisa Barr prior to reading “The Goddess of Warsaw,” I wasn’t quite sure what to expect.
After all, here is how Amazon describes the book: “the harrowing and ultimately triumphant tale of a Jewish WWII assassin turned Hollywood star …
“The Goddess Of Warsaw is an enthralling story of a legendary Hollywood screen goddess with a dark secret. When the famous actress Lena Browning is threatened by someone from her war-time past, she must put her skills into play to protect herself, her illustrious career, and those she loves, then and now.”

The story seemed kind of formulaic – as I noted in my introductory paragraph – a gorgeous femme fatale sort of story, I thought.
But what I thought at first might be a piece of fluff actually turned into an engrossing – and very harrowing read. Sure, the very first chapter sets the scene by describing an aging Lena Browning (the former Hollywood sex goddess) meeting with a young female star by the name of Sienna Hays, who is anxious to play the part of Lena Browning in a biopic that will not only star Sienna, it will be written and directed by her. Sounds like any number of other similar stories of an aging Hollywood star whose true story is not what had been created for her – right?
But quickly thereafter the story takes us to Warsaw in 1943, at a time when the Nazis had already begun the mass deportation of Warsaw’s Jews to Treblinka, ultimately leading to the deaths of almost all of Warsaw’s prewar Jewish population of 400,000.
We learn that Lena Browning’s real name was Bina Blonski, and she was the daughter of a wealthy Jewish businessman who had been murdered by Nazis right in front of her eyes when she was a young teen. Bina, it turns out, is a very talented actress. Not only that, she has all the trademarks of the prototypical Aryan superwoman: tall, blonde, gorgeous figure who, in this case, while not speaking German, speaks perfect Polish.

To Lisa Barr’s credit, however, she has clearly done quite a bit of research about what life was like in the Warsaw ghetto – and her writing does not spare the reader from any of the horrors that became commonplace aspects of life there.
I was somewhat afraid that the story would go back and forth between wartime and the present – which is 2005 in this case, when Sienna first meets Lena. I’m no great fan of trying to keep events in mind that happened several chapters back. But Barr, it turns out, is a masterful storyteller who, while she does engage in leaps back in time to help explain how certain things turned out the way they did, concentrates for the most part on Bina’s time spent in the Warsaw Ghetto.
There is a love story as part of the novel, and it revolves around Bina’s being in love with one man, Alexander, while she is married instead to his brother, Jakub. What happens to both Alexander and Jakub provides many surprises through the course of the book.
It is Bina’s story throughout, however, that continues to pull in the reader. As others around her come to realize, her talent as an actress lends itself fully to the mission that the leader of one group of Jewish Resistance fighters in the ghetto has planned for her, which is to send her out of the ghetto and find guns and bomb making material that can be smuggled back into the ghetto.
Bina is able to come into contact with a faction of the Polish Resistance whose leader, as fate would have it, is a longtime actor friend of Bina’s. The dangerous missions upon which Bina embarks are as good as any I’ve read in any spy novel, with the difference being that, according to Lisa Barr’s website, many of which are based on true events.
One particularly gut-wrenching episode though – and one which also stems from something that actually occurred during the latter stages of the Warsaw Ghetto’s existence, involves 93 young Jewish women – most of whom are in their teens, who are taken by the Nazis to be their sex slaves. Bina is instructed by Zelda, the leader of the Jewish resistance, what she has to do as a result. It’s hard not to read the description of what happens without your stomach ending up in knots.
Since we know from the start that Lena, a.k.a. Bina (also Irina, when she has to impersonate a Polish woman while she is living outside the ghetto) will survive the war, the question becomes: How did she go from being a Jewish refugee to a Hollywood actress of great fame – and talent?
Barr fashions a believable scenario that is not beyond the realm of possibility for explaining how Bina Blonski is able to transform herself into Lena Browning, but what I found a little hard to believe is how someone whose face would have become familiar to millions of movie fans around the world – and who had not undergone any plastic surgery to change her appearance, would have gone unrecognized throughout her film career?
Still, that’s a minor quibble – and hardly enough to get in the way of what is ultimately a riveting story.
With a combination of excellent research and an admirable talent for storytelling, Lisa Barr has fashioned a compelling book that should appeal to readers of all ages and genders.
Since so much of the action takes place at a time when Bina Blonski is a very young woman and many of the characters with whom she has connections in the Warsaw Ghetto are only teens themselves, I would think that The Goddess of Warsaw is a novel that might also appeal to teen readers. Some parts might be awfully difficult for younger readers to read , such as what happens on a day-to-day basis to children in the ghetto, but in the end, this book is so compelling that I would recommend it to anyone.

The Goddess of Warsaw
By Lisa Barr
368 pages
Published by HarperCollins
May, 2024
Available on Amazon

Roulette is one of those games that denotes the world of casinos most iconically with its spinning wheel and suspenseful moment when people wait for the ball to land on a number. Not all roulette, however, is the same. There are three classes of roulette: European, American, and French. They have rules and variations that somehow make them stand out and give extremely different gaming experiences. Let’s take a look at some of these differences and understand what makes each roulette class special.

The Classic Choice of the European Roulette
The typical character of European Roulette is the presence of a single zero, thus making it highly favorable among players due to a very low house advantage of 2.7% and, therefore, higher odds of winning. It offers a number of inside and outside bets that can suit different players’ appetites for risk. The reason the players like European Roulette is that it is easy to play, and the odds are quite even.
This game of roulette easily finds its place on most online websites in several variants, from differently themed games to different betting limits to accommodate any type of player. Be it a new starter or a seasoned gamer, European Roulette offers them all a slick and smooth experience with good graphics and interaction that they would want more of.

The Elegance and the Strategy of the French Roulette
French Roulette is often touted as the most sophisticated style of the game. It shares this with European Roulette, which also has a single zero wheel; however, the features are different, with the inclusion of various rules termed “La Partage” and “En Prison.” These rules create such a drastic reduction in the house edge down to as low as 1.35% on even-money bets that it affords the player a number of options for a gaming experience. French Roulette also boasts an assortment of table layouts and special bets that give the game a strategic edge, intriguing experienced players.
Spin Casino roulette games offer a sophisticated, classic European casino atmosphere in the version of French Roulette. The detailed tutorials and user-friendly interface mean that new players will take no time to learn the nuances of this great game, allowing everyone to enjoy the strategic depth of this variation.

The American Roulette, With High Stakes
Another successful variant is American Roulette, most especially in North American casinos. The key difference between American and European roulette lies in the addition of a double zero slot on the wheel. This adds to a 5.26% house edge, thereby giving it a moderate advantage over its European cousin. This also contains an extra layer of unpredictability and fun with the double zero and lures players who like higher stakes and a faster-moving pace of the game.
The realness of the experience means that American Roulette fans will get a true taste of Las Vegas-style casino action. From this brand, high-quality American Roulette games are available for players to try their luck with the double zero in immersive graphics and sound effects that bring the excitement of the casino right to your screen.
Try these roulette variations and enter a whole new world of casino gaming, where each spin holds a new chance at excitement and rewards. Be it for the first-timer or a seasoned player, roulette is a game in which the thrill keeps one sitting on the edge.

Auschwitz is one of the most powerful symbols of the Holocaust and its lessons are as current as ever. As the world prepares for International Holocaust Day the need to remember and educate becomes even more urgent.

At Auschwitz Tours from Warsaw, our mission is to help you connect with this dark chapter in history. We offer guided tours to Auschwitz-Birkenau from Warsaw and Krakow so you can visit the largest Nazi concentration and extermination camp where over a million innocent lives were taken.

Why Auschwitz Tours from Warsaw?

A visit to Auschwitz is an emotional experience and we want you to get the most out of it. Our guides will walk you through the historical context, tell you stories of those who suffered, resisted, and in some cases survived. With respect and sensitivity, we will share the history that can’t be forgotten.

We offer full day tours from both Warsaw and Krakow so you can visit Auschwitz whether you’re coming from Poland’s capital or its cultural hub. Our tours include comfortable round trip transportation so you can focus on the experience without worrying about the logistics.

Extra Educational Content

Apart from the day trips, Auschwitz Tours from Warsaw also provides a lot of educational content about Auschwitz and the Holocaust. Our website is a resource for learning with articles and materials about Auschwitz’s history, World War II, and the long-term impact of the Holocaust.

For those who can’t visit in person, these materials are a window into this dark period of human history so the lessons of the Holocaust are available to everyone.

Honoring the Past on International Holocaust Remembrance Day

International Holocaust Remembrance Day on January 27th is a global moment of remembrance. It’s a day to remember the 6 million Jews and millions of others murdered by the Nazis during World War II.

It’s not just about the victims of the Nazi regime but about learning from history so we never repeat the mistakes.

January 27th is the anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945, a day of unimaginable suffering but also of survival. The site itself is closed on this day for commemoration, but it’s a place of great importance for those who want to reflect on what happened here.

Although the gates are closed to visitors on January 26 and 27, it’s a day of personal reflection and remembrance for those who have passed away.

But on January 27th, a special area will be open for those who want to mark this solemn day on the grounds of the Memorial. This is a unique opportunity to reflect and remember in silence, on the very ground where so many lives were lost.

If you can’t visit Auschwitz today, International Holocaust Remembrance Day is still a chance to connect with the stories of survivors and victims. It’s a day to educate ourselves and others, not just about the past but about the present need to face hatred, intolerance, and anti-Semitism in all its forms.

If you’d like to learn more about our tours or explore our educational content, visit us at auschwitztoursfromwarsaw.com. Join us in remembering the past and keeping the message of “Never Again” alive.