The Nine tells the true story of nine heroic women, banded together toward the end of World War II. This is a non-fiction book, telling the true stories of these nine women’s bravery. They were all at the Ravensbruck concentration camp, and lived through the horrors there. At the end of the war, the Nazis took the camp survivors that could walk, and led them on a brutal march further into the German territory. The intention was with the Allies coming, they were going to move these prisoners to other camps further away from the front lines and the Allies coming to liberate the camps. These women banded together, and planned to attempt to escape. They saw their opportunity during the forced march, and took it. All nine ran away from the group, and though starving, sick and disoriented, found their way to freedom.
This book details the nine women that escaped and made it out alive by banding together and supporting the group. Once they escaped from the death march, they still had many obstacles in their way, including no food, little water, injuries and sickness and avoiding Nazis and others that may do them harm. Each chapter is devoted to telling the back story of each woman, most of whom were not Jewish. Most of the women were political prisoners, engaged in activities for the French Resistance at the time of their detention. This highlights the bravery and sacrifice that each woman went through, and how their completely unselfish actions led to their capture. Each chapter also moves the escape story forward as well, interspersed with the women’s history before the war. The last chapters detail the time after their return to safety, and their story/lives after the war. You truly get the whole picture of the lives of these women.
This story is not a light one… We all know the horrors that happened at the concentration camps, but this book does not mince words. There were times that I had to put it down and walk away, due to the horrific content and the things that these women had to endure. However, I think it is a necessary book, because people lived through this, and witnessed it first hand. It is my duty as another human being to witness the horrors these women went through, and realize their heroic acts, first with being part of the Resistance, and then with the atrocities that occurred during their captivity. It is a book that I didn’t always want to read, but felt that I HAD to read. And I am SO glad I did.
I gave this 4 of 5 starts, and would recommend to those who like World War II stories, especially those angled towards women (think Kate Quinn or Kristin Harmel).
This book details the nine women that escaped and made it out alive by banding together and supporting the group. Once they escaped from the death march, they still had many obstacles in their way, including no food, little water, injuries and sickness and avoiding Nazis and others that may do them harm. Each chapter is devoted to telling the back story of each woman, most of whom were not Jewish. Most of the women were political prisoners, engaged in activities for the French Resistance at the time of their detention. This highlights the bravery and sacrifice that each woman went through, and how their completely unselfish actions led to their capture. Each chapter also moves the escape story forward as well, interspersed with the women’s history before the war. The last chapters detail the time after their return to safety, and their story/lives after the war. You truly get the whole picture of the lives of these women.
This story is not a light one… We all know the horrors that happened at the concentration camps, but this book does not mince words. There were times that I had to put it down and walk away, due to the horrific content and the things that these women had to endure. However, I think it is a necessary book, because people lived through this, and witnessed it first hand. It is my duty as another human being to witness the horrors these women went through, and realize their heroic acts, first with being part of the Resistance, and then with the atrocities that occurred during their captivity. It is a book that I didn’t always want to read, but felt that I HAD to read. And I am SO glad I did.
I gave this 4 of 5 starts, and would recommend to those who like World War II stories, especially those angled towards women (think Kate Quinn or Kristin Harmel).