03/08/2021
Poet and children’s author Strauss (The Hiding Days) delivers a brisk yet uneven group biography of nine women who resisted the Nazis in WWII. They include Hélène Podliasky, the author’s great aunt; Nicole Clarence, a Jewish radio operator; and Yvonne “Mena” Le Guillou, a French liaison with the Dutch resistance. Caught at various points in 1944, the women met (most for the first time) at the Ravensbrück concentration camp. Sent to work at a munitions factory outside Leipzig, they sabotaged weapons as they plotted their escape. The chance came in April 1945, when their work camp was evacuated and its 5,000 prisoners were forced to march east. After hiding in a ditch, the women altered their clothing to appear more like refugees and trekked west, eventually encountering U.S. troops outside the village of Colditz. Strauss delves into the complications survivors faced in “returning to life,” and infuses the narrative with harrowing details about Ravensbrück and intriguing asides on her research process, but the nature of how and why close relationships developed between these nine women remains somewhat unclear. Still, fans of women’s and WWII history will be drawn to this deeply researched chronicle. Illust. (May)
04/09/2021
With this work of nonfiction, poet and author Strauss tells the story of a group of nine French Resistance prisoners, all women, who escaped the Nazis during a death march from a sub-camp of the Buchenwald concentration camp. The women come from different classes, backgrounds, and nationalities, yet their differences help them overcome the challenges they face in captivity and throughout their escape. Strauss recounts the women's varied experiences: famished, freezing, and facing the daunting tasks of walking through Nazi Germany, crossing active battle lines, and finding friendly Allied troops. The women desperately want to return to France, family, and freedom, and they must use charm, wit, and their few resources to reach safety. Strauss, a great-niece of one of the nine women, weaves together her great-aunt's story with stories of the other eight remarkable young women through research, interviews, and historical first-person accounts. She reflects on the impact of these women's sacrifices on subsequent generations, and on the lack of political recognition given to womenresistance fighters in World War II. Photographs of the women both before and after the war help to add context. VERDICT A fast-paced account that is strongly recommended for lovers of action-oriented narrative nonfiction, and for women's history collections.—Beth Dalton, Littleton, CO
2021-02-17
A group biography of nine women from the French Resistance who were caught, tortured, and starved—but survived.
Despite the courage of its participants, the French Resistance movement could not withstand the power of the Nazis and their Gestapo, whose surveillance and infiltration made joining the Resistance almost a death sentence until France’s liberation. Nonetheless, Hélène Podliasky, Strauss’ great aunt, led a group of eight other women in their 20s against the invaders. No reader will doubt the Nazis’ utter loathsomeness after the author describes the unspeakable brutality, torture, and inhumane conditions the women endured after their capture. During the war’s final months, the Nazis attempted to destroy evidence of their crimes. As oncoming armies approached, they burned documents, killed prisoners, and “forced the remaining prisoners on death marches, at first often to other death camps further into the interior of Germany, and then by the end with no clear destination.” More died than escaped, but at one point, nine women jumped into a roadside ditch to hide until the soldiers passed. Strauss alternates tales of their early lives, Resistance activities, and arrest with their horrific experiences in concentration camps and factories, escape, and walk across Germany to American lines. A long epilogue reveals that most lived into the current century. For decades they received little recognition and rarely discussed their suffering. Some found peace and contentment, but others were clearly damaged irretrievably. The author interviewed her aunt in 2002 as well as many of her subjects’ descendants, and diligent research turned up articles, letters, photographs, and even unpublished memoirs. As such, there is no shortage of documentation, but Strauss seems to belong to the history-is-boring school, so she assembles the information into a novelistic narrative with invented scenes, dialogue, and insights into her subjects’ thoughts and emotions. She gets her facts right, so most readers will make allowances.
A breathless story of almost superhuman heroism and suffering with a (mostly) happy ending.
"[Strauss] ensured the bravery of their work was recognised over 75 years later." —BBC
"An incredible story about the power of friendship and the faith in humanity in one of the darkest times in history." —Lee Woodruff
"A most inspiring read...Utterly gripping." —Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes
"A breathless story of almost superhuman heroism and suffering with a (mostly) happy ending." —Kirkus
"Intimate.. chilling... A moving testament to the power of friendship." —Booklist
"Poignant, powerful, and shattering.". —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Alice Network
"Delivers beauty, grace, horror, and suspense—an important work that also happens to be a hell of a read!" —Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead
"It's high time we got our Band of Sisters.... Equal parts exhilarating, devastating, and inspiring." —Lauren Sandler, author of This is All I Got
"A writing of rare historical accuracy and deep empathy." —Agnès Triebel, Secretary General of the International Buchenwald-Dora Committee
"Brought tears that I was happy to shed." —Marc Spijker, Guigui's son
"At this moment of worldwide chaos and despair, this is a book that reminds us about what is important, and about finding strength and purpose during the worst of times. Highly recommended." —Goldie Goldbloom, author of On Division
This well-researched audiobook focuses on nine women resistance fighters who, despite starvation and torture, remained steadfast in their loyalty to each other. Narrator Juliet Stevenson pours her considerable talent into her performance to make the Dutch, French, and German accents of these women sound authentic to her listeners. As the Allies closed in, the Nazis forced Ravensbruck’s prisoners on a death march to kill them before they could be liberated. The nine decided they had to escape—or die trying. Stevenson’s performance captures their despair, fear, and successes as they made a run for it. Their story has never been told before. Stevenson presents a gripping portrait of courage under fire. E.E.S. Winner of AudioFile Earphones Award © AudioFile 2021, Portland, Maine
