We Must Not Think of Ourselves

Based on historical documents, Grodstein’s (Our Short History) latest recounts the lives of Polish Jews confined to the Warsaw Ghetto during World War II. Forced out of his spacious flat, Adam Paskow, a childless, widowed English teacher, now lives in a tiny apartment with two other families. He continues to teach the children of the ghetto and is recruited to document the stories of those around him for posterity. Adam interviews his flatmates, the children he teaches, and others with whom he comes in contact, all while trying to survive on increasingly meager rations. Brad Griffith capably serves as the primary narrator, portraying Adam while performing and the novel’s first-person narration. His performance is unhurried and immersive; it’s easy to imagine him as a native Yiddish speaker communicating in his second language. He sensitively conveys Adam’s disbelief over the events he witnesses and the dawning realization that he must escape from his situation. Additional actors voice the children and adults whom Adam interviews, adding to the realistic, emotional impact of the tale.