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The Angel of Warsaw

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Inspired by true events, blending white-knuckle suspense with wartime romance, a woman who would become known as the female Schindler, risks everything to smuggle children out of the ghetto and away from the grasp of the Gestapo…

Warsaw, 1939. The Nazi invasion shatters the city, as Nazi banners rise, hunger gnaws, and walls create a ghetto. SS patrols prowl and trains stand ready for “resettlement” camps of Treblinka.

Granted access to the ghetto as a “public health specialist,” Irena Sendler steps through the gates with forged papers and begins with the smallest, most dangerous smuggling children out and away from certain death.

With help from a group of rebels, Jewish residents and her lover, Irena builds a pipeline under the occupier’s nose, using any means necessary, including the city’s sewers.

At unimaginable personal risk, she keeps one last secret hidden. But if she is caught the truth threatens to remain hidden forever…

Inspired by the true story of Irena Sendler, the Polish social worker who helped rescue more than 2,500 Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto, The Angel of Warsaw is an unforgettable, heart-stopping novel of resistance, sacrifice, bravery and love.

252 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 27, 2025

814 people are currently reading
281 people want to read

About the author

Rebecca Scott

58 books

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5 stars
273 (54%)
4 stars
134 (26%)
3 stars
77 (15%)
2 stars
11 (2%)
1 star
6 (1%)
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews
Profile Image for Jaqui.
589 reviews2 followers
November 28, 2025
Of course, I've heard of Irena Sandler. There are books and films about this remarkable and brave lady who must have been an extraordinary person. I've been wanting to read about her life for some time.

She lived from 1910 to 2008, and in 1965, Yad Vashem recognised her as righteous among nations for her rescue of 2500 children from The Warsaw Ghetto under the noses of the Gestapo. Captured and tortured, she remained resolute and strong and gave nothing away.

My feeling overall was that this book didn't do her justice.. I know it was faction, a mix of fact and fiction but I felt too much weight was given to a romantic attachment and not enough to her story which is remarkable enough on its own. For me, the terror, squalor and living conditions in the Ghetto and the people held within didn't go far enough or deep enough.

I thought the book was well written to begin with, but I became increasingly irritated as I continued to read by the jarring similes and metaphors threaded throughout, which felt unnecessary and jarring and became tedious. For me, they didn't add to the story but became a distraction.

Sentences like: the coat hung on her like a sentence" - what does that even mean? "felt how the sentence warmed her from inside like tea moving through a body cold too long." "Each digit rung like a bell striking bone." Some of the early ones felt apt and smart, but far too many of them began to irk and slow down the narrative and coild have been pruned. just my opinion.


I would like to read a better book about this extraordinary woman. but this book gave a flavour, so has whetted my appetite to learn more about her and her life. So that's a good thing.
20 reviews
January 2, 2026
dates are all wrong

What publisher would allow this book to be published with wrong dates? Why bother writing the account of Irene Sendler if you pretend that the Warsaw ghetto uprising never took place and claim she was still saving children in the summer through October of 1943. Sloppy and insulting to those of us who have studied the Holocaust. This book has Irene entering the ghetto in October of 43. The ghetto was liquidated in May - there was no one left to save. Total rubbish.
Profile Image for Frieda Thompson.
400 reviews6 followers
February 13, 2026
The Angel of Warsaw

I hate to write bad, or even mixed, reviews! But if I'm honest, I sometimes have to. Unfortunately, this is one of the sometimes. I gave it 4 Stars, but it really only deserves 3.

I gave it the extra Star though because the story is actually very good. It tells a true story in a fictionalized version. A woman in WWII Warsaw, Poland risks her life, & very nearly loses it, to save hundreds of Jewish children from the ghetto, where they were systematically being starved & housed in overcrowded, filthy tenements. A wonderful, inspiring story. However, that beautiful story was all but ruined for me by what I found to be poor writing, which is, of course, subjective. I felt was pretentious, bordering on Purple! Phrases that made no sense to me, even after Googling & finding no explanations, such as "Another (child) bounced a ball; it hit a car root and leapt sideways.". I don't know what a car root is & neither did Google. Also, descriptions so superfluous as to be ridiculous. For example: "In the mornings, City Hall breathed like it contained wild animals penned too tightly: that curled in on themselves in an act of self-preservation, behind doors that swallowed people and coughed them back out with new creases between the brows." & "A stove sweated in the corner, irrelevantly heroic." Now, I'm not against a bit of melodramatic description, but it was simply way overused in this book. That is very sad, because I really did like the story itself. I am a big fan of WWII Historical Fiction, but I honestly don't know whether or not I will read anything else from this author. Maybe one more, to see if this is just a one time thing? Perhaps she was experimenting with a new writing style?
Profile Image for Lisa .
853 reviews53 followers
October 30, 2025
The Angel of Warsaw is a remarkable book about a remarkable woman, Irena Sendler, a Polish social worker. This book is so beautifully written that I read it twice; the first time for the plot and the second time to appreciate the language and imagery. This is the story of the Zegota, an underground organization to save Jewish children from the Warsaw Ghetto. Each child they saved had to be physically smuggled out of the ghetto, past the Nazi guards, and given new identities before being hidden in plain sight.

Irena's unrelenting drive to save as many Jewish children as possible came from her father, a doctor who provided care to all who needed it. Her father told her, "Do the right thing, Irena. Even when the cost is high, you will know it is right because your heart will not betray you." There is no way to protect your heart while you read this book, but it is worth every tear shed. Irina Sendler was an extraordinary woman who personally saved 400 Jewish children from death in the Warsaw Ghetto. The very least we can do is to bear witness to her incredible bravery and sacrifices. Say her name and make sure your children and grandchildren know her story. The Angel of Warsaw is a stunning achievement, and I highly recommend it.
Profile Image for Julie Juhl.
1,653 reviews19 followers
November 3, 2025
The Angel of Warsaw by Rebecca Scott is the remarkable true story of Irena Sendler. Irena was the head of the children's division of Żegota. She helped rescue more than 2500 from the Warsaw Ghetto. I can't imagine living through that and Irena showed so much courage. The book is beautifully written. This is the first book I have read from Rebecca Scott and I look forward to reading more of her work.

I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
Profile Image for Ronald.
314 reviews
December 16, 2025
An outstanding story of courage

The Angel of Warsaw is a story based on the life of Irena Sendler, a woman who rescued hundreds of children from the Nazi killing machine. It is a story of courage and fearlessness, living on the brink of being discovered and killed. She faced those dangers and more. Her story is hopeful and tragic, so very meaningful in her mission to save the children. I highly recommend this story to the reader.

28 reviews
February 16, 2026
the Angel of Warsaw

This book was so moving, I cried so many times while reading this book. She truly was a great hero, she never faltered, where does that goodness and strength come from, Today in 2026 in the United States the similarities of that horrific time, of the Nazi regime I fear I is flourishing once again, but this time by our own government
We must stand up for what is right and protect “the other”
We must be like Irina Sendler.
,
,
13 reviews
November 14, 2025
I found the book a little bit difficult to follow because of the writing style. It was almost poetic and confusing. It was based on real life. The main character was stubborn in her determination to rescue as many children regardless of personal danger, admirable but cringeworthy. It is not your typical WW2 survival saga, it’s deeper than that, serious with no fluff.
Profile Image for Jeanne GA.
39 reviews
December 29, 2025
This is the third book I’ve read about Sendler. She helped approximately 2500 children escape the Ghetto in Warsaw right under the nose of many Nazi soldiers. This particular book was written in such a way that it seemed disjointed. Her heroic efforts to save the children and their names seemed to be second to her romance. Just didn’t ring true.
Profile Image for Carmen Thompson.
535 reviews2 followers
February 14, 2026
Above and Beyond

I enjoy reading books about this topic and time period especially when it's based on a real person's life. Some people are just trying to live while others grab the opportunity to experience life. Yes, some people will see a person drowning and jump in to help them even if they themselves don't know how to swim.
1 review
November 26, 2025
Excellent and Emotional Book.

This book touched me deeply. Both Irena’s enormous courage and her sense of right versus wrong. Based on fact. The writing is very good, better than most books I have read on Kindle.
I highly recommend you give it a try.
15 reviews
December 16, 2025
Would have given a higher score but I found the endless similies and metaphors became rather tedious. Rather than adding to the story I found they detracted from it. Some were so obtuse they seemed inappropriate for the subject matter.
1 review1 follower
January 24, 2026
fantastic story

I love the books that feature a “different” view of the holocaust than we are so often taught, and I also love stories based on real people and their heroism. This book was a fantastic read.
28 reviews
February 13, 2026
I struggled to finish this book. I’m very interested in the subject matter, but I did not enjoy the style that the author wrote in. I found the descriptions hard to decipher and the use of similes and metaphors excessive and unnecessary.
Profile Image for Mimi.
617 reviews
November 12, 2025
loved the history and the writing was beautiful for such a grim subject. Short in length and the ending felt abrupt.
71 reviews6 followers
November 26, 2025
a must read

This is a book that everyone should read as it tells the story of courage beyond endurance it had me reading till the early hours
Profile Image for Micaela Digon.
185 reviews3 followers
December 10, 2025
Un libro doloroso, con una historia dolorosa, narrado de una manera hermosa y dolorosa. Ame.
1 review
Read
January 8, 2026
Ammazing story about a wonderful giving, kind woman and written in the most beautiful poetic type way
4 reviews
January 13, 2026
Heartbreaking

A terrifying story of courage far beyond most could imagine acting upon. Blessed are those who performed these deeds so others could live.
33 reviews1 follower
January 19, 2026
Even though I thought this was a good book, I got tired of the endless use of metaphors - and I mean endless. It got to be tiresome & definitely took away from the story.
8 reviews
January 22, 2026
The Angel of Warsw

This book was excellent and I could not put it down. I loved this book because it was about real person who saved the lives of so many children during WWIi.
7 reviews
January 31, 2026
Great Story Despite Metaphors

Great story but her constant use of metaphors in virtually every description wears thin. Sometimes wind is just wind, not a “breath from a mountain god” (my exaggeration to demonstrate a point).
Profile Image for Arlene.
32 reviews1 follower
January 26, 2026
Basically good but …

This novel was good except that I was so distracted by how often the author use anthropomorphism to describe how inanimate objects were reacting to what the author was trying to say. Some of it would’ve been good and well done, but I felt she used it to to excess.
Displaying 1 - 23 of 23 reviews

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