Flowers in the Gutter
The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers Who Resisted the Nazis
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- 6,49 €
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- 6,49 €
Publisher Description
The true story of the Edelweiss Pirates, working-class teenagers who fought the Nazis by whatever means they could.
Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean were classic outsiders: their clothes were different, their music was rebellious, and they weren’t afraid to fight. But they were also Germans living under Hitler, and any nonconformity could get them arrested or worse. As children in 1933, they saw their world change. Their earliest memories were of the Nazi rise to power and of their parents fighting Brownshirts in the streets, being sent to prison, or just disappearing.
As Hitler’s grip tightened, these three found themselves trapped in a nation whose government contradicted everything they believed in. And by the time they were teenagers, the Nazis expected them to be part of the war machine. Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean and hundreds like them said no. They grew bolder, painting anti-Nazi graffiti, distributing anti-war leaflets, and helping those persecuted by the Nazis. Their actions were always dangerous. The Gestapo pursued and arrested hundreds of Edelweiss Pirates. In World War II’s desperate final year, some Pirates joined in sabotage and armed resistance, risking the Third Reich’s ultimate punishment. This is their story.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gaddy's debut draws from memoirs and extensive research to share the true stories of three teens in Nazi Germany. Gertrud, Jean, and Fritz were non-Jewish, fairly typical German teens, hanging out with groups known as B ndische Jugend (free-federated youth). The Nazis considered such groups far too tolerant and nonconforming, and as Hitler came to power, they were subjected to imprisonment and interrogation. The senseless brutality they witnessed prompted the B ndische to risk their lives in acts of rebellion, vandalism, and sabotage because "at least if they were fighting back against the Nazis, they might die doing something meaningful." Despite awkward translations (for example, a foreman tells Fritz, "You are not bearable for the German people," to express contempt) and frequent use of undefined German phrases, this compelling account conveys the profound brutality of Hitler's Germany and how some children responded with acts of breathtaking bravery. Age 12 up.