A review by 55_sallymander
The Nine: The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany by Gwen Strauss
5.0
THE NINE by Gwen Strauss
The Nine is about 9 women who banded together in friendship during World War 2, who planned and escaped captivity from the Nazis. The author has done extensive research on all nine of the women, one of which was her great-aunt Helene Podliasky. Most of the women had nicknames, which they are all referred to in the book. Helene's nickname was Christine.
The Nine:
Christine
Zara
Nicole
Lon
Guigui
Zinka
Josee
Jacky
Mena
The women were of different nationalities, most were arrested in Paris. Most were members of the Resistance, spies, fighting for freedom against oppression for all peoples.
Some of the women knew each other before they were arrested, most were non-Jewish. Several of the women were tortured before being sent on towards the Nazi concentration camps. One woman was very pregnant when arrested, she gave birth in a French prison, her baby was smuggled out and was raised for the remaining war years, by other family members.
The nine women were on the death marches near the end of World War II when they saw an opportunity and used it to escape guaranteed death. Several of the women were fluent in several languages and were able to convince the local officials of the towns they passed through that they were simply a group of French girls who had been factory workers, who were anxious to return home to Paris.
Author Gwen Strauss has done extensive research into the backgrounds and lives of all nine of the women. It is a courageous story of hope and devotion to one another. Highly recommend it, it gives you a look at a different side of the war, the women who fought so selflessly for the war effort and were punished to the breaking point for their beliefs.
Much gratitude to #stmartinspress for the complimentary copy of #thenine, I was under no obligation to post a review.
The Nine is about 9 women who banded together in friendship during World War 2, who planned and escaped captivity from the Nazis. The author has done extensive research on all nine of the women, one of which was her great-aunt Helene Podliasky. Most of the women had nicknames, which they are all referred to in the book. Helene's nickname was Christine.
The Nine:
Christine
Zara
Nicole
Lon
Guigui
Zinka
Josee
Jacky
Mena
The women were of different nationalities, most were arrested in Paris. Most were members of the Resistance, spies, fighting for freedom against oppression for all peoples.
Some of the women knew each other before they were arrested, most were non-Jewish. Several of the women were tortured before being sent on towards the Nazi concentration camps. One woman was very pregnant when arrested, she gave birth in a French prison, her baby was smuggled out and was raised for the remaining war years, by other family members.
The nine women were on the death marches near the end of World War II when they saw an opportunity and used it to escape guaranteed death. Several of the women were fluent in several languages and were able to convince the local officials of the towns they passed through that they were simply a group of French girls who had been factory workers, who were anxious to return home to Paris.
Author Gwen Strauss has done extensive research into the backgrounds and lives of all nine of the women. It is a courageous story of hope and devotion to one another. Highly recommend it, it gives you a look at a different side of the war, the women who fought so selflessly for the war effort and were punished to the breaking point for their beliefs.
Much gratitude to #stmartinspress for the complimentary copy of #thenine, I was under no obligation to post a review.