Saturday, September 21, 2013

ROSE UNDER FIRE: BOOK REVIEW AND GIVEAWAY CONTEST

     Elizabeth Wein is the author of CODE NAME VERITY, which I've reviewed here on this blog.  As soon as I learned months ago that Wein was following that book up with a not-sequel-exactly, I pre-ordered ROSE UNDER FIRE.  I was mostly through reading it when I wandered onto Wein's website and discovered that she was going to be doing an East Coast book tour and that today she would be at Children's Book World in Haverford, PA.  And since that was her closest stop to where I live, I decided to drive the two hours each way just to be able to see her.  Which I did.

                                        
 
(I'm the doofus on the left with my eyes closed)
 

     When I got to the bookstore (which, by the way, is lovely) I was expecting to be ushered into a back room with seats and a podium, so I was a little confused when all I saw was one medium-sized space and three or four adults standing around chatting about the difficulty of finding parking spaces in Philadelphia.  I was about to ask one of them if she knew where Elizabeth Wein would be speaking when, in the nick of time, I realized that one of the other women chatting about parking WAS Elizabeth Wein.  I recognized her from the photos on her website.  She was, by far, the most un-diva-like author I had ever encountered.
     In the end, only about 20 people showed up to listen to Wein (including her aunt and uncle), so it was an amazingly intimate experience; she sat up on a little stage and the rest of us sat on the floor in front of her and soaked up everything she had to say.  Then she signed our books, taking time to talk to each of us and, yes, to let us have our pictures taken with her (closed eyes optional).  It was SO worth the four hours on the road.

     Now for the book review.  I don't feel as skittish about spoilers as I did when reviewing VERITY because, unlike that book, ROSE contains few mysteries or plot twists.  It's the fairly straightforward story of 18-year-old Rose Moyer Justice from Pennsylvania, whose father owns a flight school and who taught her to fly when she was 12, and who is inspired - in part by a visit to her school from Edna St. Vincent Millay - to assist in the war effort by traveling to England and volunteering as an auxiliary transport pilot.  Despite the ominous crash-landing and death of a fellow ATA pilot with which the book begins, Rose sees what she's doing as a bit of an adventure, until the day in late September 1944 when the plane she's flying is intercepted by the enemy and forced to land in Germany.  At first the Germans aren't sure what to do with her, but their uncertainty doesn't last long.  Rose is shipped off to Ravensbruck, a German concentration camp for female political prisoners.
     As Wein clarified in her remarks today, the explicit purpose for the existence of Ravensbruck was to starve and/or work the women prisoners until they died, thereby clearing the way for the next influx.  Toward the end of 1944 everyone, including the prisoners and their German guards and administrators, knew that the Allies were winning the war and that it would only be a matter of time until the concentration camps would be liberated.  The goal of the prisoners, then, became to cling to life by any means they could until that day came.  Their purpose was twofold: to achieve their own personal survival, and to be able to reveal to the world what they had endured.  But as time ran short, the Nazis in charge of the Camp were becoming more desperate and more dangerous. "Selections" of inmates to be executed became more frequent.  And, for the first time at Ravensbruck, a gas chamber was constructed.
     Soon after her arrival, Rose learns of one special category of prisoner among her fellow Camp inmates.  The Rabbits were a group of 80 or so women, mostly Polish, who had been subjected to medical pseudo-experiments so horrifying that all of the Ravensbruck prisoners in effect circled the wagons around them.  The Rabbits' bodies were living evidence.  Therefore they, more than any of the other tens of thousands of half-dead prisoners, had to be kept alive.  Not easy.  I learned from Wein today that when Ravensbruck was liberated by the Russians in the spring of 1945, the average weight of the survivors was 66 pounds.
     Many thousands of women died at Ravensbruck, despite the astonishing ingenuity of some who  found the courage and the wits to fight back.  Rose Justice found her strength in an unexpected place.  She kept her spirit alive, and fed the spirits of others, by writing poetry.
     Wein did prodigious research for this book; I have no doubt that the paper and online bibliographies she provides at the end barely scratch the surface.  Her website provides further research tools for readers, and between that and the book, she has stunningly achieved what she set out to do.  She has told the world.
    

     And now: the giveaway contest.  I bought an extra copy of ROSE UNDER FIRE at the bookstore and got it autographed, and I'm ready to give it away to a lucky winner.  Here are the two things you have to do in order to enter: (1) become an official follower of my blog - it's not that onerous, I promise.  I don't post often enough to be annoying; and (2) leave a comment telling me something about World War II that I don't already know.  This second task is totally doable.  I'm not a historian and there are a vast number of things I don't know about the War.  If you don't think you know anything worth telling, then do a little research, bearing in mind the adage that if we don't study history we will be doomed to repeat it.  You have until next Saturday, the 28th, at midnight East Coast time, to submit your entry.  I'll announce a winner the next day.
     And if you don't enter, or enter but don't win, read ROSE UNDER FIRE anyway, which is really the point here.  It's a harrowing, inspiring, unforgettable experience you should not miss.



20 comments:

  1. 1- im a follower on GFC - fatma shahin
    2- fact: Eighty percent of Soviet males born in 1923 didn’t survive WWII. :(

    just wondering is canada included in this giveaway?

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    1. Thank you, Fatma. I don't know what GFC is but I'll take your word for it, and I did not know your fact. Horribly sad. Yes, Canada is included, as is anywhere else in the world - sorry I forgot to mention that. I mailed my last giveaway book to Pakistan.

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    2. GFC is google friend connect:D the widget with the blue button that says Join This Site that you have on the left of your blog :) and yay, so excited for this giveaway! :D

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  2. How about I give you 99? :)
    http://facts.randomhistory.com/world-war-ii-facts.html

    I loved her books, simply adore.

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  3. Thanks, Caitlin. Will check out that link shortly. You probably already know that Elizabeth Wein has other, previously published novels, but I'm mentioning it in case you (or any other readers) didn't know and want to go online and look for them.

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  4. Thank you, Yvonne. I think I'm turning into a groupie...

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  5. OK, Susan, as you know---I've been following your blog for quite a while :)

    And I'm going to tell you something about World War II you probably don't know 'cause I didn't know it (not that that says much! lol), but I'm not doing it to compete for another book (I've been quite lucky on your blog already! Won't be greedy!). So...I'm only telling you and anyone else who's reading this 'cause I was so blown away when I found this out, I HAVE to tell you!

    The Allies used inflatable decoys such as tanks, and even buildings, to divert the Germans' attention like a "red herring," getting them to believe a different strategy than what was actual---and it worked! I was blown away with what they actually produced as decoys for this purpose. What an effort!

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    1. For future readers of comments: There's a whole book on the deceptive/illusion tactics used my our military during WWII. There was a 1000-man unit dedicated to doing it! The book is called "Secret Soldiers." Awesome, facinating read. :]

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  6. Oh, and I forgot to say how heartbreaking this book sounds, but can imagine that, as the author, Elizabeth must've felt her heart breaking many times throughout her research process :(

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  7. Donna, you're right! I did not know about the inflatable decoys. Thank you for that. And yes, I'm sure Elizabeth Wein spent many hours writing this book with tears rolling down her cheeks. But the book also demonstrates that the human spirit is unquenchable, no matter how dire the circumstances.

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  9. 1) I follow your blog
    2) Two of the most celebrated British authors (Roald Dahl and Ian Fleming) were ordered to spy on the US during World War II in very unusual ways!! (Yes! I googled!!)



    Read more at http://www.omg-facts.com/lists/32/8-Bizarre-Facts-About-World-War-II/5#oSUQgO7VbwhUzeq0.99

    The review is great and your picture is cute too!!

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  10. Thanks for joining in, Aqsa! Contest will end in about 15 hours, when I wake up tomorrow morning!

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  11. Okay, folks, it's just about midnight my time, and somehow I'm still awake! S here's the deal on the contest: 1. Aqsa, it was really nice to hear from you again, but since you've recently won one of my giveaway contests, I'm automatically disqualifying you this time around. Don't take this personally! You won't be disqualified forever! 2. Caitlin: 99 historical facts when I only asked for one! You win. Congratulations! Email me your address at muranosb(at)gmail(dot com) and I'll send you the book ASAP! 3. Fatma: I'm sorry you didn't win, but I love your enthusiasm and appreciate the follow! So here's what we can do: since I have lots of other great young adult novels I'd be glad to give away, send me an email, and I'll reply with a list of them from which you can choose. Okay? Thank you all for participating!! Keep reading!

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    1. Whoops! Harsh luck! But thats OK(considering you gave me TWO cool books last time), I'll enter the next time you have a giveaway contest, who knows I might get lucky once again?!! Thanks for the giveaway!
      And hearty congrats to Caitlin and Fatma; you're in for a great treat!

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    2. Don't give up yet, Aqsa! I still haven't heard from either Caitlin or Fatma about collecting their books. If they don't get in touch with me soon, you're next in line!

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    3. Okay, Aqsa, it's your turn! For some reason neither Caitlin nor Fatma seem to want to claim their FREE books, so you have now won an autographed copy of ROSE UNDER FIRE. Congratulations! Just email me your address again and I'll get it out to you!

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    4. OMG! Thank you so much, Susan!!!!! :') This is the best news ever!!! I'll email you my address, as soon I sign in to my email(I'm having a bit of problem with my internet connection, but I'll get in touch with you tomorrow!) Thank you once again! Wow. :D

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