The Nine by Gwen Strauss is a true story of nine women and their survival. It is a heartbreaking story of the suffering that they went through at the brutal hands of Nazis. Its also the story of their escape, bravery, resilience and the effects of the trauma in their later life.
Rating this book is tough. If there were more than 5 stars I would give it. To even imagine the brutality that women went through at the hands of men gives me shivers. This novel gives us a glimpse into the time when women were not even acknowledged for their role in resistance. Definitely not for readers who cannot read graphic scenes because this book is filled with it. Scenes especially where children are involved are very tough to read.
Overall I salute these brave women and the other unknown brave women who went through and survived such traumatic events.

Having finished this remarkable book, The Nine, by Gwen Strauss a week ago, I needed to think about it for several days before I could write about it. I read a lot of WW II fiction and non-fiction as I see each book as a puzzle piece that when putting the WW II puzzle together gives the reader more understanding of the war and the lives of individuals during this time.

Gwen Strauss started her research with an interview with her great aunt, Hélène Podiasky, a member of the French Resistance who was captured, interrogated and sent to Ravensbruck and later a labor camp in Leipzig. Hélène and eight other women, Zara, Nicole, Lon,, Guigui, Zinka, Josephine, Jacqueline, and Mena escaped during the death march. All of these women were in their twenties, had been members of the Resistance. They met each other at different times. Strauss interviewed members of their families while doing research for this book. She documents interviews, books, historical files and visits to the places mentioned in this book.

I was amazed how she covered each of these women’s back stories, their time in the camps, and the times of adjustment after the war. I felt the pain of the horrors they were subjected to in the camps, The pulling of a molar, standing for hours for roll calls, the lack of food..........I also felt the humanness, the caring for each other in the most difficult of times, the ingenuity, and the bravery of each of these women. I recently read A Woman of No Importance by Sonia Purnell which is a good companion book to Strauss’s masterpiece.

My thanks to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book. The opinions in this review are my own.

This book comes out May 4th and it’s not one to miss! This is definitely one of the best books I have read this year. I was immediately captivated by the story of these brave nine women.

What these women have in common is that they were all in their 20’s, working for the resistance. They were not all French, but they shared a deep conviction to fight in the French Resistance against the Nazi regime. Their differences in personality were what enabled them to persevere in a time that would have been easy to give into fear. They kept each other focused throughout their ordeal.

I was constantly amazed at their courage and resilience. I believe this book covered nearly every facet of World War II’s horrifying experiences, but did so in the most gentle way possible.
Although the book didn’t go into details of the women’s resistance work, it did cover what happened at the end of the war and that seems to be an area often neglected.

Once liberated, many people were still not safe and continued to suffer hardships. I found this book to be a powerful testament to what exists inside a person when they encounter the most difficult times of life and find the courage and the will to overcome their situation.

I highly recommend this book to readers who love history, non-fiction and courageous women.

Many thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me to read an advance copy. I’m happy to give my honest review.

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.

Rating: 5 stars

What an amazing book! I have read a lot of books about WWII, both historical fiction and nonfiction. I have read so many that it sometimes seems as if I am reading a version of the same story. So I am always thrilled to find an author who focuses on aspects of the war that are less familiar to me. Extra points if it is about heroic women.

This is the true story of the author's great aunt Helene Podliasky, who was instrumental in helping 8 other women escape the German labor camp and find their way back to France. Gwen Strauss has produced a meticulously researched book about nine women who were active in the French Resistance. They were all in their 20's when they were arrested in 1944. Some of the women had been recently married though most were single. One woman gave birth to a daughter while in a French prison. While the women all worked for the Resistance, their group of nine formed during their transportation to the German camps. The women were interrogated and tortured while in prison. They were initially sent to Ravensbruck before ending up in the labor camp at Leipzig. The details of how they survived in the camp is nothing short of amazing. As Germany was losing the war, prisoners were marched to their death. It was during this march that the women broke from the masses and made their escape. They spent the next 10 days trying to find the front lines and the Americans. They succeed, but reintegrating back into their lives is not easy.

Ms. Strauss profiles each of the nine women, their lives before the war, their work in the Resistance, their experiences as prisoners, and their lives after the war. Some of the details are not easy to read. The personal stories are interspersed with interesting facts and figures about the war. This book also contains a story within a story. The author includes her own experiences researching the women, interviewing them when possible, and tracking down and interviewing their surviving family members. I found that aspect to be equally compelling. I really liked the Ms. Strauss wove her own experiences as a researcher and writer into the book. She also brings up some interesting social and psychological points to consider.

It is not hyperbole for me to state that this is the best nonfiction book that I have read about WWII. I think both the research and the quality of the writing is on par with Erik Larson. I fully expect that this book will win some writing awards. Many thanks to NetGalley for the opportunity to review this fascinating and well written book.

It will be a long time before you forget this captivating and engrossing read. The author is the great-niece of Helene Podliasky, one of the nine women who was involved in the resistance during WWII doing various dangerous assignments including hiding children and families, helping downed pilots, delivering weapons, messages, etc. The nine women were all in their 20s when they were captured, tortured, imprisoned and sent to Ravensbruck concentration camp. The nine women formed a friendship and through courage, sheer will and determination, they were able to survive and eventually escape. The women spent 10 terrifying days trying to make their way to the front lines in order to get back to France. This was not an easy book to read at times but it is a story that needed to be told.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of this very engrossing read in exchange for an honest review.

Oh my word! This book is so pure and raw. I read 2 books recently that dealt with war as their backdrop. This one definitely took the front seat in truly illustrating the effects struggles of surviving the war. Gwen Strauss’ great aunt Hélène was one of the individuals who is taken captive into a concentration camp and later escapes with the 8 females following behind. This story follows the many obstacles and horrors in their incredible that they experience first hand. The book is captivating from the very first page and remains as exciting as it continues. I loved that Strauss didn’t shy away to sugar-coat the events but rather, brought them forefront to the readers to truly understand the feelings of these women. Highly recommend for those who love historical stories, true events and a pursuit of female perseverance!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my advanced reader’s e-copy in exchange for an honest review!

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advance copy of this book in return for an honest review.

Gwen Strauss’ great aunt Hélène was one of a group of nine female resistance fighters that were imprisoned in a concentration camp and made their escape from a death march as the war was coming to a close. They made a harrowing 10 day journey trying to get to the front lines and return to Paris.

Books about incredibly courageous women of the resistance and spies have always completely fascinated me. While the book seemed to lack cohesion in sequencing, it still bears witness to bravery I can only imagine. Each of the women receives a chapter, digging a little deeper into their individual personality. Strauss does an excellent follow-up on the women’s lives after the war. It’s always strange to say that I loved or liked a book about this subject, but these are stories that need to be told and never forgotten.

This is the true story of nine incredible women who escaped together from Nazi Germany after time spent in prisoner camps and a final death march as the Allies approached. The story being told is amazing, and I feel so privileged to have read it and learned what the nine women and their descendants shared about their experiences as prisoners and their escape. Each woman was an amazing person who worked with the resistance during the war.

My favorite parts of the book were those that documented the history and used the women's own words. The book was well researched drawing from interviews and a variety of documents. However, much of the weaving in of how and when interviews were done felt distracting from the potential power of this book. The author's great aunt was one of the nine women, and the author regularly spoke about herself and her process of research. Additionally, although the books was largely chronological, most chapters had one of the nine women's name attached, but that didn't consistently match to the contents of the chapter. I would have preferred a more consistent chronology over the organizational pattern chosen.

The underlying story of these nine women deserves a large audience and powerful retelling. I learned more about the death marches than I had from previous nonfiction I have read. I also found the discussion of the hierarchies amongst the prisoners quite insightful.

Thank you to the publisher for this advanced copy to read. All opinions are my own.

3.5

If you liked Kristin Hannah's The Nightingale, you might be interested in this non-fiction account of the women who fought the Nazis, suffered after being captured, yet survived to escape. It is an excellently researched and well written history of nine young women whose strength and friendship help them withstand the horrors of the concentration camp.

The Nine is a heartbreaking, harrowing, well researched story of nine women who were Resistance members captured by the Nazis and later escaping in the late days of the war. While often hard to read the experiences and struggles of these nine women really shine through. I liked how their stories were woven together and not only covers the early years of the war, their capture, and escape, but also the struggles they had post-war.

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.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the chance to read this incredible book by Gwen Strauss. She showed the daring and perseverance of the women in the resistance movement during WWII. Her descriptions and characterizations were very powerful, and the amount of research she did was incredible.

This brisk biography is a compelling and beautifully written story of nine women who survived the worst of Nazi Germany. Caught at various points in 1944 they met at Ravensbrück concentration camp. This is the true story of Helene, Nicole, Jacky, Zaza, Lon, Guigui, Zinka, Mena and Josée and the things these French, Dutch and Spanish women faced.

I was drawn right from the opening page by this deeply researched chronicle that highlights the courage of women who worked for the French Resistance until the moment they were caught. Under the Nazi strong arms, they suffered unspeakable brutality, torture and lived in inhumane condition. Ms. Straus alternated tales of their early lives, Resistance activities, and arrest with their horrific experiences in concentration camps and factories, escape, and finally the walk across Germany to American lines. The narrative is infused with harrowing details about Ravensbrück , how the relationships between these nine women developed and the complications they faced once they returned to their home town. By the end it is revealed that most lived a long and fruitful life well into the recent century.

This account is a fantastic piece of narrative that captures the sense of what life was when the German leadership was breaking down and facing defeat: the cruelest parts of WW11 was then unleashed on all prisoners.

I never get tired reading these tragic accounts of how people lived daily with atrocities and managed to come through. Obviously this is a very heavy subject matter and could be disturbing for some but more importantly is to never forget.

Well-said

The Nine is the true story of nine women and their escape to freedom. This book gave me another perspective regarding the prisoners of WWII. Early in the book, it was said that survivors of the camps didn’t have the right words to describe their lives as prisoners. That’s how I feel after reading this book; I don’t have words. Horrific … Disturbing … Atrocities … Suffering … Determination ... all too small a words.

After their return to freedom and a ‘normal’ life, they faced a whole new struggle, a struggle to live with their past and yet move forward.

The Nine was very distressing to read, and it must have been even more so, Ms. Strauss, as you dug up gruesome fact after gruesome fact. This telling of incomprehensible atrocities is raw and disturbing and simply could not be invented; truth is indeed stranger than fiction. I can’t imagine how those who endured did endure.

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review The Nine. It was both compelling and unsettling. Well done.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc of this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions expressed are my own.

I really felt that The Nine by Gwen Strauss was compelling and interesting to read. I liked the way the book was organized in that the story of how the nine women escaped from a labor camp during the war was a focus in each chapter, but then there was research and backstory that supported the main story.

What really struck me was how brave each woman was and how difficult their lives or their children’s lives were as a result of the trauma that the women experienced. I always wondered how people who survived labor or concentration camps eventually moved on, or if they ever did... and how their experiences affected their families. This book gave a glimpse into that and I found it quite fascinating.

4 stars

As a big fan of history – especially wartime stories – I was intrigued by the premise. This book presents a fascinating narrative of resilience and survival. I was inspired by the stories of these women, by their strength and courage in times of tremendous hardship. Their stories are well-crafted and easy to follow, making for a fluid read.

I am really looking forward to purchasing this book so that I can see the illustrations of these women and again read their tenacious story of survival. The amount of strength they show and how they support one another is astounding.

My paternal ancestors lived in France during this war. I can't help but wonder how my great-grandparents survived this time period.

My maternal grandfather fought during this war as an American soldier. I'm going to go through his things with new eyes.

What an excellent read! The Nine is a true story about nine women who are captured and imprisoned in Germany as part of the French Resistance. You follow their journey through concentration camps and doing all they can to survive. They then escape and at the end you see how it affects their lives and the next generation. Writing style was easy to follow, especially given there are nine names to follow. The fact that this is nonfiction and one of the women is the author’s aunt really keeps you grounded in the fact that these incredible women did this, and at such a young age. Definitely recommend. Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

Journey to Freedom

Gwen Strauss tells the story of her Great Aunt Helene Podliasky and eight of her friends that escape from Ravensbruck concentration camp, across Germany through enemy lines to reach the front of the American's.

These are the nine brave women: Helene Podliasty (known as Christine), Suzanne Maude (known as Zara), Nicole Clarence, Madelon Verstijnen (known as Lon), Guillemette Daendels (known as Guigui), Renee LeBon Chateney (known as (Zinka), Josephine Bordanova ( known as (Josee), Jaqueline Aubery du Boulley ( known as Jacky), Yvonne de Guillow (known as Mena).

These women worked in the Resistance during the war. They were all an important part of their resistance organizations. Helping Jewish escape with forged papers, helping keep Jewish children safe from the Nazi's, helping to hide and smuggle out downed allied airmen and as couriers and other duties as needed. Unfortunately they were all arrested and sent to Ravensbruck via other camps. They became a unified group of close friends and companions in Ravensbruck , on the escape and for most of their lives afterwards.

The book is very interesting in its depiction of the escape and of the conditions of the camps and the treatment of the Nazi's. It also tells of the bad and good treatment by the civilian population before and after their imprisonment in the camps. The things they saw were horrific as were the acts experienced by each of them.

I like how the author tells the story of each of the nine women before, during and after their war years. It really makes the story come alive that each of the nine is personalized to us in the story. There is so much history and so much information, the research must have been very exhausting at times. The author has done a wonderful job of explaining all the research and of the people she interviewed , the families and friends of the nine women.

This is a true story of courage, heartbreak, Love and strength of these nine women. They went through so much and they stayed together through it all and the escape. They believed in their selves, in each other and in their quest for freedom. They never gave up hope.

I really enjoyed reading about these brave women and what they accomplished. This was a very emotional and historic book and I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to Gwen Strauss, St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of the book. I received a complimentary copy of this book. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own."

The fact that these stories are finally being told is so lovely and I really hope books like this become required reading for certain classes and course of study. This book was extremely well-written and I am very grateful for the author for putting this book together.