The NineThe Nine

"At the end of World War II, Gwen Strauss's great-aunt Hélène Podliasky led a band of nine female resistance fighters as they escaped the SS and made their way through war-torn Germany. Drawing on their various strengths--diplomacy, humor, courage--they made it, against all odds, across the front lines and eventually back to Paris. The women were all under thirty when they joined the resistance. They smuggled arms, harbored parachuting agents, trekked escape routes to Spain, and hid Jewish children. They were arrested by French police, interrogated and tortured by the Gestapo, and deported to Germany. The group met 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, the nine chose their moment and made a daring escape. Drawing on incredible research, this powerful, heart-stopping narrative is a moving tribute to the power of humanity and friendship in the darkest of times"--Back cover.