Publisher: St. Martin's Press
Release Date: May 4, 2021
Genre: Memoir
The Nine follows the true story of the author’s great aunt Hélène Podliasky, who led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped a German forced labor camp and made a ten-day journey across the front lines of WWII from Germany back to Paris.
The nine women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms through Europe, harbored parachuting agents, coordinated communications between regional sectors, trekked escape routes to Spain and hid Jewish children in scattered apartments. They were arrested by French police, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. They were subjected to a series of French prisons and deported to Germany. The group formed along the way, meeting at different points, in prison, in transit, and at Ravensbrück. By the time they were enslaved at the labor camp in Leipzig, they were a close-knit group of friends. During the final days of the war, forced onto a death march, the nine chose their moment and made a daring escape.
The nine women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms through Europe, harbored parachuting agents, coordinated communications between regional sectors, trekked escape routes to Spain and hid Jewish children in scattered apartments. They were arrested by French police, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo. They were subjected to a series of French prisons and deported to Germany. The group formed along the way, meeting at different points, in prison, in transit, and at Ravensbrück. By the time they were enslaved at the labor camp in Leipzig, they were a close-knit group of friends. During the final days of the war, forced onto a death march, the nine chose their moment and made a daring escape.
Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative from Gwen Strauss is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times.
My Review 🖤
Harrowing stories from World War II are saturating the historical fiction market at the moment, and with each novel there is a clearer understanding of the horrors that abounded during this tumultuous time. How can one human have that amount of hatred for another to inflict such pain and torture is a question that will forever bombard my mind, and loomed again while I was reading The Nine.
Captivated from the first sentence, I am so thankful that Gwen Strauss brought this astounding story of her great aunt, and her fellow resistance fighters, to light. This was a story that needed to be told, and should be heard by future generations! It is incredible that they survived these horrific conditions and unimaginable situations, and lived to tell the tale! Even more than 75 years later stories like these hit you right in the gut, transporting you to a time and place that no one would ever want to go, giving flesh and life to these heroines, exposing more of the truth of this dark stain on our world history.
Reading The Nine has made a lasting imprint on my mind and heart, and I am gratified to Ms. Strauss and all of her compassion and dedication to this novel. It is clear that this was a passion project, with meticulous detail, and masterfully written, I cannot recommend this book enough! Yes, there are moments that are difficult to read, as is true with most stories from this dark time, but trust me when I say it is well worth it to fight through the tough, as you will be encouraged beyond measure. The Nine is a reading experience I will never forget, and my heart goes out to those who had to endure such torture. Truly unimaginable...
My Rating: ★★★★★
About the Author
*I have voluntarily reviewed a complimentary copy of this book which I received from St. Martin's Press through NetGalley. All views and opinions expressed are completely honest, and my own.
No comments
Thank you for visiting! :)