The Last Woman of Warsaw

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.

Genres: Historical Fiction, Fiction, Jewish, World War II, Adult Fiction, Historical

336 pages, Hardcover

Expected publication April 7, 2026

About the author

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

Reviews

[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.

[Tricia · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate NetGalley for the chance to read and review The Last Woman of Warsaw by Judy Batalion.

This story follows two very different young Jewish women in 1930s Warsaw. Zosia has fled brutal antisemitic violence in her small town and is desperately trying to get a visa to Palestine. Fanny is a college student who dreams of becoming a photographer, even though her mother wants something more “respectable” for her.

The one person both girls are depending on is their professor, Wanda Petrovsky — Zosia hopes Wanda can help with her visa, and Fanny needs her to get into an important photography exhibition. When Wanda is suddenly arrested for being a Communist, Zosia and Fanny are thrown together and have to figure out how to help her.

As things in Poland grow more dangerous for Jewish people and Hitler rises to power in Germany, the book really shows how quickly life can change and how ordinary people are forced to make impossible choices. I liked the contrast between Zosia and Fanny and how their relationship develops under pressure.

I enjoyed reading about how lively Warsaw was before the German occupation. All the books I've read about Poland take place during the occupation and are very bleak. In this book we read about parties, bars, concerts, etc.

[Nicole · Rating 5 out of 5]

Judy Batalion's sentences sing! She captures the atmosphere in Warsaw in the late 1930s in vivid detail, a world rich with culture, erudition, and dynamic political ideas. Two women, Fanny and Zosia, represent different realities for Jews in Poland—until the country no longer allows for these distinctions. By the end of the novel, I felt as though Fanny and Zosia are more than characters; they were friends. My heart broke for them as WWII loomed. Which one will forsake freedom? Which one will escape but give up her dreams? Their stories will stay with me forever.

[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.

[Suzanne Leopold (Suzy Approved Book Reviews) · Rating 5 out of 5]

The author creates an engaging and unlikely friendship of two young women in pre-war Warsaw. With robust descriptions of the city, and as someone who has visited Poland, it felt like the city was also a character. It was very easy to get hooked into this story due to the strong character development.

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

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.

[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.

[Rotrub · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an important story.