Book Descriptions
for Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein
From Cooperative Children's Book Center (CCBC)
Rose is a young American pilot working with the Air Transport Auxiliary in Britain during World War II. After attempting to knock a Doodlebug (unpiloted flying bomb) off course, she is corralled by two German planes, captured, and imprisoned at the Ravensbruck concentration camp. Rose's survival is dependent on her fellow prisoners, who are experienced in the scrabbling and subterfuge, bartering and brazenness necessary to live another day in that place. Among them are "Rabbits"-women who are survivors of medical experimentation at the hands of Nazi doctors. Some of them are severely disfigured or crippled; all bear wounds that can't be seen. But they are ferocious in their determination that the stories of what they endured will make it beyond the walls of Ravensbruck and out into the world. Elizabeth Wein's tense companion to Code Name Verity (U.S. edition: Hyperion, 2012) explores another dimension of women's experience in Europe during World War II. The narrative follows Rose to liberation, where the courage of the "Rabbits" as the Nuremberg Trials commence help Rose continue her journey toward healing, and search for justice. One of the many pleasures in this taut read is the incorporation of poetry. It is a way Rose's spirit remains free during her imprisonment, and becomes something she can offer other prisoners. An author's note provides information on the historical events into which this fictional story is embedded, including some of the real people who inspired a number of characters. (Age 14 and older)
CCBC Choices 2014. © Cooperative Children's Book Center, Univ. of Wisconsin - Madison, 2014. Used with permission.
From the Publisher
Elizabeth Wein, author of the critically-acclaimed and best-selling Code Name Verity, delivers another stunning World War II thriller where a young female pilot will have to confront the realities of hope and bravery if she wants to survive capture.
While ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot for the Soviet air force.
Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?
The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.
**Don’t miss Elizabeth Wein’s stunning new novel, Stateless Praise for Rose Under Fire
* “Wein masterfully sets up a stark contrast between the innocent American teen’s view of an untarnished world and the realities of the Holocaust. [A]lthough the story’s action follows [Code Name Verity]’s, it has its own, equally incandescent integrity. Rich in detail, from the small kindnesses of fellow prisoners to harrowing scenes of escape and the Nazi Doctors’ Trial in Nuremburg, at the core of this novel is the resilience of human nature and the power of friendship and hope.” —Kirkus, starred review * “Wein excels at weaving research seamlessly into narrative and has crafted another indelible story about friendship borne out of unimaginable adversity.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
While ferrying an Allied fighter plane from Paris to England, American ATA pilot and amateur poet, Rose Justice, is captured by the Nazis and sent to Ravensbrück, the notorious women's concentration camp. There, she meets an unforgettable group of women, including a once glamorous French novelist; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot for the Soviet air force.
Trapped in this bleak place under horrific circumstances, Rose finds hope in the impossible through the loyalty, bravery, and friendship of her fellow prisoners. But will that be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?
The unforgettable story of Rose Justice is forged from heart-wrenching courage, resolve, and the slim, bright chance of survival.
**Don’t miss Elizabeth Wein’s stunning new novel, Stateless Praise for Rose Under Fire
* “Wein masterfully sets up a stark contrast between the innocent American teen’s view of an untarnished world and the realities of the Holocaust. [A]lthough the story’s action follows [Code Name Verity]’s, it has its own, equally incandescent integrity. Rich in detail, from the small kindnesses of fellow prisoners to harrowing scenes of escape and the Nazi Doctors’ Trial in Nuremburg, at the core of this novel is the resilience of human nature and the power of friendship and hope.” —Kirkus, starred review * “Wein excels at weaving research seamlessly into narrative and has crafted another indelible story about friendship borne out of unimaginable adversity.” —Publishers Weekly, starred review
Publisher description retrieved from Google Books.