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The sisterhood of Ravensbrück : how an intrepid band of Frenchwomen resisted the Nazis in Hitler's all-female concentration camp  Cover Image Book Book

The sisterhood of Ravensbrück : how an intrepid band of Frenchwomen resisted the Nazis in Hitler's all-female concentration camp / Lynne Olson.

Olson, Lynne, (author.).

Summary:

"Decades after the end of World War II, the name Ravensbrück still evokes horror in the minds of those who know about this infamous all-women's concentration camp. Particularly shocking was the discovery that sometimes-lethal medical experiments were performed on some of the inmates. Ravensbrück was atypical in other ways as well, not just as the only all-female German concentration camp, but because 80% of them were political prisoners. Among them was a tight-knit group of women who had been active in the French Resistance. Already well-practiced in sabotaging the Nazi occupation of France, these women joined forces to defy their German captors and keep each other alive. Calling themselves the maquis (guerillas) of Ravensbrück, the sisterhood's members, amid unimaginable terror and brutality, subverted Germany's war effort by refusing to do the work they were assigned. Knowing that they risked death for any infraction did not stop them from defying their SS tormentors at every turn -- even staging a satirical musical revue about the horrors of the camp. After the war, when many in France wanted nothing more than to focus on the future and forget about those who'd resisted the enemy, the women from Ravensbrück refused to allow their achievements, needs, and sacrifices to be erased. They banded together once more, first to support one another in healing their bodies and minds, and then to continue their crusade for freedom and justice -- an effort that would have repercussions for their country and the world into the twenty-first century"-- Provided by publisher.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9780593732304 (hardcover)
  • Physical Description: xiv, 367 pages : illustrations ; 25 cm
  • Edition: First edition.
  • Publisher: New York : Random House, [2025]

Content descriptions

Bibliography, etc. Note:
Includes bibliographical references and index.
Subject: Gaulle-Anthonioz, Geneviève de.
Pery d'Alincourt, Jacqueline, 1919-
Postel-Vinay, Anise.
Tillion, Germaine.
Association nationale des anciennes déportées et internées de la résistance > History.
Ravensbrück (Concentration camp) > Biography.
Women Nazi concentration camp inmates > France > Biography.
Women Nazi concentration camp inmates > Germany > Biography.
World War, 1939-1945 > Deportations from France.
World War, 1939-1945 > Underground movements > France.
Genre: Biographies.
Personal narratives.

Available copies

  • 1 of 1 copy available at Tsuga Consortium.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 1 total copy.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Status Due Date
Cookstown Branch 940.531853154 Ols 31681010422244 NONFIC Available -

  • B & T Entertainment
    Drawing on the experiences of a group of French Resistance women imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, this account details their acts of defiance, survival strategies and postwar efforts to seek justice and ensure their experiences were not forgotten. Illustrations.
  • Baker & Taylor
    Drawing on the experiences of a group of French Resistance women imprisoned in a Nazi concentration camp, this account details their acts of defiance, survival strategies, and postwar efforts to seek justice and ensure their experiences were not forgotten. Illustrations.
  • Baker & Taylor
    Decades after the end of World War II, the name Ravensbrèuck still evokes horror in the minds of those who know about this infamous all-women's concentration camp. Particularly shocking was the discovery that sometimes-lethal medical experiments were performed on some of the inmates. Ravensbrèuck was atypical in other ways as well, not just as the only all-female German concentration camp, but because 80% of them were political prisoners. Among them was a tight-knit group of women who had been active in the French Resistance. Already well-practiced in sabotaging the Nazi occupation of France, these women joined forces to defy their German captors and keep each other alive. Calling themselves the maquis (guerillas) of Ravensbrèuck, the sisterhood's members, amid unimaginable terror and brutality, subverted Germany's war effort by refusing to do the work they were assigned. Knowing that they risked death for any infraction did not stop them from defying their SS tormentors at every turn-even staging a satirical musical revue about the horrors of the camp. After the war, when many in France wanted nothing more than to focus on the future and forget about those who'd resisted the enemy, the women from Ravensbrèuck refused to allow their achievements, needs, and sacrifices to be erased. They banded together once more, first to support one another in healing their bodies and minds, and then to continue their crusade for freedom and justice-an effort that would have repercussions for their country and the worldinto the twenty-first century-- Provided by publisher.
  • Random House, Inc.
    The extraordinary true story of a small group of Frenchwomen, all Resistance members, who banded together in a notorious concentration camp to defy the Nazis—from the New York Times bestselling author of Madame Fourcade’s Secret War

    “At once heartbreaking and beautifully told, this is a masterwork of nonfiction, a must-read for anyone who wants more of the incredible true story behind Lilac Girls.”—Martha Hall Kelly, author of Lilac Girls

    ONE OF THE TOP TEN BOOKS OF JUNE—The Washington Post and Los Angeles Times


    Decades after the end of World War II, the name Ravensbrück still evokes horror for those with knowledge of this infamous all-women’s concentration camp, better known since it became the setting of Martha Hall Kelly’s bestselling novel, Lilac Girls. Particularly shocking were the medical experiments performed on some of the inmates. Ravensbrück was atypical in other ways as well, not just as the only all-female German concentration camp, but because 80 percent of its inmates were political prisoners, among them a tight-knit group of women who had been active in the French Resistance.

    Already well-practiced in sabotaging the Nazis in occupied France, these women joined forces to defy their German captors and keep one another alive. The sisterhood’s members, amid unimaginable terror and brutality, subverted Germany’s war effort by refusing to do assigned work. They risked death for any infraction, but that did not stop them from defying their SS tormentors at every turn—even staging a satirical musical revue about the horrors of the camp.

    After the war, when many in France wanted to focus only on the future, the women from Ravensbrück refused to allow their achievements, needs, and sacrifices to be erased. They banded together once more, first to support one another in healing their bodies and minds and then to continue their crusade for freedom and justice—an effort that would have repercussions for their country and the world into the twenty-first century.

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