The Nine is the incredible true story of nine women resistance fighters who escaped while on a Nazi death march after months of captivity. This gripping tale explored the lives of the nine women, from their roles in the resistance and how they came to be captured, to their experiences during captivity, their escape and their lives after the war. It felt all-encompassing as it detailed events from all phases and experiences of the Holocaust. Extensively researched, it provided so many hard-hitting facts that at times may give the reader a gut punch as they remember some of the darkest times of humanity.
I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this book. It was well written, thoroughly researched and easy to read (in terms of writing style, not necessarily topic). The author truly pulled no punches and provided an accurate, heartfelt account of an important and inspirational story.
I also appreciated just how nuanced this book was. Everyone has learned extensively about the Holocaust, yet the author did an amazing job of highlighting some things I was unaware of and giving focus to some deserving topics, such as the wide range of women's roles and experiences during the Holocaust and beyond. I had never consciously thought about the fact that women often did not receive credit for their work or heroics during the war. While nothing can truly make up for that, this book does a great job of showcasing women and giving some much needed credit for the bravery and strength they showed.
The only critique I could provide for this book has to do with the structure, which I think is largely due to it being a Kindle book. Each chapter focused on a different member of The Nine, with later chapters veering away from that when all nine had been covered. During these chapters, the author jumped focus from detailing each woman’s backstory and capture, to the events of their escape, to how the author obtained this research. In e-format, aside from a new paragraph, there was nothing to signify a change of idea or jump to a completely new focus/decade. After a couple chapters, I began to expect it and could compensate for it, but in the beginning, I found myself a bit confused whenever these jumps in focus occurred. Regardless, it was not enough to detract from this book and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. I already plan to buy a copy when it becomes available.
I am so grateful I had the opportunity to read this book. It was well written, thoroughly researched and easy to read (in terms of writing style, not necessarily topic). The author truly pulled no punches and provided an accurate, heartfelt account of an important and inspirational story.
I also appreciated just how nuanced this book was. Everyone has learned extensively about the Holocaust, yet the author did an amazing job of highlighting some things I was unaware of and giving focus to some deserving topics, such as the wide range of women's roles and experiences during the Holocaust and beyond. I had never consciously thought about the fact that women often did not receive credit for their work or heroics during the war. While nothing can truly make up for that, this book does a great job of showcasing women and giving some much needed credit for the bravery and strength they showed.
The only critique I could provide for this book has to do with the structure, which I think is largely due to it being a Kindle book. Each chapter focused on a different member of The Nine, with later chapters veering away from that when all nine had been covered. During these chapters, the author jumped focus from detailing each woman’s backstory and capture, to the events of their escape, to how the author obtained this research. In e-format, aside from a new paragraph, there was nothing to signify a change of idea or jump to a completely new focus/decade. After a couple chapters, I began to expect it and could compensate for it, but in the beginning, I found myself a bit confused whenever these jumps in focus occurred. Regardless, it was not enough to detract from this book and I would wholeheartedly recommend it. I already plan to buy a copy when it becomes available.