Rose Under Fire

According to GoodReads, I started reading this in May and got 20% through it, which is the point where I realized it was a concentration camp story and I had to put it on hold until I felt emotionally prepared to read it. I guess I decided that this weekend I was prepared to finish it, though this pile of used Kleenexes begs to differ.

When Code Name Verity first started getting buzz, I admit I thought, “Do we really need another WWII story? What's left to tell?” Then, of course, it was a fresh and brilliant novel and I loved it and so did basically everyone.

Same with Rose Under Fire–did we really need another concentration camp story? Well–maybe we needed this one.

Wein's frame is smart, having Rose narrate her story after the fact. I haven't seen as many WWII novels deal with a character's trauma like this. So many books focus on how horrible being in a camp was--which, yes, it was--but less time is spent on how horrible being out of the camp was, too. Too, setting it in Ravensbruck, focusing on the Rabbits (who were medically experimented on)--all of this is a different take on the standard WWII narrative and important history. And including the Nuremburg trials, and how survivors might respond, and how gendered everything was, and, and, and...! It's all so richly nuanced and powerful, without ever feeling didactic. Unsurprisingly from the author of Code Name Verity, the friendships--sisterhood--between the prisoners is so beautiful and important and moving.

I saw some reactions that were disappointed that this didn't have the same suspense/twists as Code Name Verity, but I... mean, I wouldn't want to read the same story twice, I guess, and I'm not sure how that kind of narrative would play out in this story.

Oh, also, as a longtime Girl Scout, I was VERY moved by reading all of Rose's Girl Scout songs and traditions and realizing how many had survived to present day. Such a powerfully humanizing and relatable element–I am sure many other present day Girl Scouts would respond similarly.