Gwen Strauss

• "[A] narrative of unfathomable courage... Ms. Strauss does her readers—and her subjects—a worthy service by returning to this appalling history of the courage of women caught up in a time of rapacity and war." —Wall Street Journal

• "A compelling, beautifully written story of resilience, friendship and survival. The story of Women's resistance during World War II needs to be told and The Nine accomplishes this in spades." —Heather Morris, New York Times bestselling author of Cilka's Journey

• Goodreads list of NEW & ANTICIPATED HISTORIES & BIOGRAPHIES

• "Though the dangers the women face are significant, their unorthodox means of travel help contribute to an unexpected feeling of picaresque adventure, as the women lie and scavenge their way toward freedom... The women's bravery and ingenuity as they traverse an almost apocalyptic landscape makes for a thrilling narrative...Gripping." —Shelf Awareness

• "An incredible story about the power of friendship and the faith in humanity in one of the darkest times in history." —Lee Woodruff

• "[Strauss] gets her facts right... A breathless story of almost superhuman heroism and suffering with a (mostly) happy ending." —Kirkus

• "A paean to female bravery and life-saving friendship." —iNews

• "Intimate.. chilling... A moving testament to the power of friendship" —Booklist

• "The Nine is poignant, powerful, and shattering, distilling the horror of the Holocaust through the lens of nine unforgettable women. Banding together in the hellscape of Ravensbruck, the nine resistance fighters turned prisoners make a desperate bid for escape in the chaos of the war's end, embarking across battle-ravaged Germany toward home. Gwen Strauss melds a poet's pen and a decade of research into a tale of friendship, courage, and indomitable will." —Kate Quinn, New York Times bestselling author of The Rose Code and The Alice Network

• "This haunting account provides yet more evidence not only of the power of female friendship but that the often unrecorded courage and resilience of ordinary women must be honoured and celebrated. It's a most inspiring read...Utterly gripping." —Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes

• "Strauss, niece of one of the nine heroines and third-generation 'Witness of the Witnesses', answers questions and challenges with great finesse. In a writing of rare historical accuracy and deep empathy, a woman of today tells the stories of yesterday." —Agnès Triebel, Secretary General of the International Buchenwald-Dora Committee

• "At this moment of worldwide chaos and despair, this is a book that reminds us about what is important, and about finding strength and purpose during the worst of times. Highly recommended." —Goldie Goldbloom, author of Paperbark Shoe and On Division.

The Nine follows the true story of my great aunt Helene 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.

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.

For the most part 'The Nine,' like so many women in the Resistance, kept quiet about their actions during the war. They weren't recognized as heroes. They didn't tell their stories. But one day over lunch, my aunt told me her story. I asked to interview her officially and to record her. Then I became obsessed with uncovering further details. She didn't remember the full names of the other women. It was detective work to find out who they were. I researched archives in four countries, interviewed relatives and friends of all nine women, traveled to Germany multiple times, met with survivor groups and read first-hand testimony from female French resistance fighters, in order to piece together the story of these incredible women.

"I love this book. The Nine is that rare WWII nonfiction thriller that delivers beauty, grace, horror, and suspense while grounding us in the intricacies of the French Resistance and the complex lives of its heroes. The young Helene and her compatriots will charm and alarm you with their integrity, poise, and courage. It's an important work that also happens to be a hell of a read!"

From Anthony Swofford, author of Jarhead, a Marine's Chronical of the Gulf War, and Hotels, Hospitals and Jails, a Memoir.

"It's high time we got our Band of Sisters, and there could be no better author to tell their story than the riveting and rigorous Gwen Strauss. Equal parts exhilarating, devastating, and inspiring, this narrative investigation into the history of her own family is truly our untold history as well.  I feel my own resolve to resist fascism strengthen with the breathless turn of each page."

From Lauren Sandler, author of This is All I Got