The Nine

The True Story of a Band of Women Who Survived the Worst of Nazi Germany

By: Gwen Strauss

Narrated by: Juliet Stevenson

Length: 13 hrs and 33 mins

Publisher's summary

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 10-day journey across the front lines of World War II from Germany back to Paris.

This program includes a bonus conversation with the author, as well as an archival recording of Martine Podliasky singing the Champs de Marais at her mother, Hélène Podliasky's, funeral.

The nine women were all under 30 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.

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.

A Macmillan Audio production from St. Martin's Press

"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 best-selling author of Cilka's Journey)

"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 honored and celebrated. It’s a most inspiring read.... Utterly gripping." (Anne Sebba, author of Les Parisiennes)

"The Nine is poignant, powerful, and shattering, distilling the horror of the Holocaust through the lens of nine unforgettable women.... 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 best-selling author)

©2021 Gwen Strauss (P)2021 Macmillan Audio

Insightful to hear history

To hear the story and fate of these women and their children was education and inspiring. Nothing we face today is as hard as they faced.

Speechless

I found myself connected to this incredible group of women. The raw reality of the true experiences of existence during their young lives was unimaginable. Their bond of friendship was enviable especially during their extreme circumstances.
Much to ponder about the sacrifices for humanity.
You will want to share this book, especially with younger generations, to ensure this history is never forgotten.

History reminds us of our failings as humans!

The research it took to write this book is really quite unbelievable. Even though the author had a family connection to the story, she was tireless at getting to the truth even though she had the most minimal piece of family history. I’ve read lots about the holocaust, but this work had the most exhausting research I’ve heard. The facts in the story are unimaginable. I love that during the reading she explained the beginning and the middle and the end sort of all at once so I didn’t have to wait till the end to find out what happened to these women. She interspersed the past with the here and now. I appreciated that immensely. The performance of this manuscript was truly amazing.

A great story about friendship and endurance

This story spans the life of nine women. Although, I was hesitant to listen to the story, I'm so glad that I did. Granted, I did have to skip some of the parts while they were in the concentration camp, only because I didn't want nightmares.

It was interesting learning how each woman coped under such trying circumstances. Even though in many ways they were different, there were also similarities and how they managed to move on with their lives.

It helped me better understand the effects of those who survived the concentration camps not only on their own lives but also the lives of future generations.

I thought the narration was very good. It was kind of peaceful in a way not jarring.

If you like stories about courage and surviving the unthinkable, then this is a great book to listen to.

Researched diligently

At times I was confused as to the characters, but that may be a listener problem, not the author! Grateful for the author's diligence.

Effects of the resistance

This is a dynamic story of saving yourself during the resistance once caught. Each of the nine young women were nicely introduced in separate chapters as the story moved along. Descriptions of their hunger, health, friendship, concentration camp life, and escape route take you to an unfamiliar world of suffering. The psychology afterward is understandable such as not wanting to eat or talk about the experience anymore.

True heroes!

The love and caring the author provided. I felt she tried her best to tell the story of each woman while not sensationalizing for a big sell. Very well done!

Recommend

The author did an amazing job bring to life these nine ladies. She discusses the physical, emotional, personal and social cost that they paid. I personally loved that we get to learn about their lives after the war. Such an important aspect that gets over looked.

Awesome story

Enjoy everything on WW2 and all who helped the Jews and other mistreated persons. This story being based on true facts was even more meaningful. Highly recommend.

Wonderful book

I loved this book. This was an amazing story about some amazing women. Definitely worth listening to.