Remarkable stories of Bravery
In this ambitious post, I will write about four different books all set during World War II. Why aren’t authors and readers tired of World War II? If you have any ideas, please share them with me. I know that people my age grew up with stories about the war and the bravery of those who lived through it. One reason we are seeing more books set during the war years is because new information is just now coming to light. Hard to believe, isn’t it? Well, here goes…..
The Sisterhood of Ravensbrook, by Lynne Olson, is a non-fiction book about a group of French resistance fighters who were imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp exclusively for women. While their time in the prison has been documented in several other books as being pure hell, there was a group of women from France that put up an incredible and unusual fight of mostly passive resistance. This is their story!!
Even if the story may be difficult in some places, I intend to read it because I have great respect for Lynne Olson. I have read Citizens of London, Madame Forcade’s Secret War and part of Empress of the Nile. Obviously, I lost interest in the Empress!! The above photograph of women doing forced labor is representative of what went on at Ravensbrook, but of course not all that went on. After the liberation, the women from France went back to their country to tell their story and support one another as they tried to heal from the unthinkable experience. This book is ultimately about a triumphant feat of bravery.
Women of War: The Italian Assassins, Spies and Couriers who Fought the Nazis, written by Suzanne Cope, focuses on four Italian women who worked in the underground network of sabotage and spying to fight Nazism in their country.
The Mademoiselle Alliance, by Natasha Lester, is a retelling of the story of Marie Forcade. Remember that Lynne Olson wrote the non-fiction version. If you haven’t read Olson’s book, you should try The Mademoiselle Alliance. Lester is a very thorough historical fiction writer so I’m sure you will learn all the actual information about Madam Forcade plus some additional excitement that historical fiction can bring!
The last book I highlight is about a woman as little-known as Madame Forcade is well-known. Her special spy name was Agent Zo. Her real name was Elzbieta Zawacka, and the research and subsequent non-fiction book by Claire Mulley finally lifts her story from the hidden archives. Agent Zo was first a major figure in the Polish resistance. She organized a vast intelligence network of women while the Germans and the Soviet Union were both trying to invade Poland. During World War II, she trained in England to join the Polish elite special forces and parachuted back into Poland. After the war, the Soviet Union inprisoned her and, even after her release, kept a watchful eye on her activities. Living until the age of 99, she continued to champion women’s rights and Polish freedom.
