A tale of great enterprise and great fortitude, and of wonderful female solidarity and nobility of spirit, in the bleakest of circumstances.
For decades after World War II, histories of the French Resistance were written almost exclusively by men and largely ignored the contributions of women. Many current overviews of the subject continue to underplay the extent and importance of women's participation in the Resistance, treating the subject, in the words of one historian, as 'an anonymous background element in an essentially male story'.
The Sisterhood of Ravensbr ck corrects that omission, surveying the bond between four women - Germaine Tillion, Anise Girard, Genevieve de Gaulle, and Jacqueline d'Alincourt - who fought valiantly against Nazi oppression. While the women belonged to different Resistance movements and networks, they were united by a common thread- they were arrested by the Gestapo, underwent merciless interrogations and beatings, were jailed - and, most significantly, survived, if just barely, the hell of Ravensbr ck, the only concentration camp designed specifically for women. In an institution designed to dehumanise and kill, the sisterhood maintained their sense of self and joined together to face down death.
Remarkably, in the aftermath of World War II, the women once again joined forces to find a way to transcend the horrors of the war and turn it into something good for themselves and the world. The Sisterhood of Ravensbr ck is an illuminating, inspiring account.
'Alternately chilling and inspiring, Sisterhood takes us into Nazi Germany's notorious concentration camp for women, Ravensbruck, as a band of captive French partisans struggles to survive and bolster one another against unimaginable cruelty. Olson demonstrates yet again that she is a master not only of deep and difficult research, but also of gripping nonfiction narrative.' -Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon of Unrest and In the Garden of the Beasts
'The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck follows Caroline Ferriday's beloved French friends, from war-torn Paris to the notorious all-female concentration camp Ravensbr ck and beyond. At once heartbreaking and beautifully told, it's a masterwork of nonfiction, a must-read for anyone who wants more of the incredible true story behind Lilac Girls.' -Martha Hall Kelly, New York Times bestselling author of Lilac Girls
'Filled with the detailed, comprehensive research Olson is celebrated for, her latest delves into the ingeniousness and fury that drove a band of French female political prisoners to not only survive their time in Ravensbr ck, but, once freed, force the rest of the world to take a hard look at the horrors perpetrated by the Germans at a time when so many preferred to "move on." A stunning achievement.' -Fiona Davis, New York Times bestselling author of The Stolen Queen
