The Woman from Warsaw

The Woman from Warsaw is not like any of the other coming of age novels set during World War II that I have come across lately. For one thing, it’s set in Benghazi, Libya rather than the more traditional European theater. For another, the feeling of it is entirely different. I’ve read many other books that feel either softened or deliberately heroic, as though World War II is nothing more than a good-versus-evil backdrop for a plucky heroine. Fun as those are to read, after a while, they blur together.

The Woman from Warsaw is a book that will stand out in my mind for years to come

The book is told through the memories of Mariam Khaldoon, an adolescent girl facing many awakenings. One of these is from the war itself and the fascination it awakes in her; the other is from the titular woman from Warsaw: Esther Sanz, a dressmaker who takes Mariam under her wing. The book is dense, but never plodding. Mariam’s memories are filled with detail, and Salah el Moncef has a knack for making those details fill up the whole page, blossoming to fill every sense.

The details are one of the strengths of the book. Another I noticed is the connections between characters. It can be hard for male writers to write women in a way that feels realistic, but the women in this book read as though they have actually lived, and the conversations between them are alive and sparkling. Mariam’s fascination with Esther especially spoke to me, reminding me of many similar sensations I’ve felt.

The one weakness I found in the book was its pacing. I enjoyed when the book slowed a little either for the effect of drawing attention to Mariam remembering the events or to draw attention to the details, but at times it was difficult to tell when events were taking place, or how long it had been since a previous section of the book. I also felt as though the book kept shifting between elements of its plot without really tying them together. The war, Esther, and Mariam’s schooling were never wholly disconnected from each other, but they did feel disparate.

On the whole, I was enchanted by this book. For those who enjoy stories of young women in World War II, it opens a window onto a part of the war that has been overlooked by popular culture. Even for those tired of the genre, it will be a fresh and welcome read.