The Nine

Gwen Strauss’s powerful true story of friendship and courage during World War II is titled “The Nine.” The story of the novel centers on Hélène Podliasky, the great aunt of the author, who commanded nine female resistance fighters in their flight from a German forced labor camp.

These ladies, who joined the resistance at the age of thirty, displayed incredible bravery by hiding Jewish children, smuggling arms, and providing shelter to agents. Their trip across the front lines of the conflict and back to Paris is evidence of the strength of friendship and compassion even in the most difficult circumstances.