First published 2021
Judy Batalion uncovers the hidden history of Jewish women who fought back against Nazi occupation in Poland. The author focuses on figures like Renia Kukielka, a weapons smuggler and messenger who traveled across occupied territory carrying out dangerous missions. These women, many of them teenagers, converted Jewish youth organizations into active resistance networks. They bribed Gestapo guards, concealed weapons in bread loaves and marmalade jars, and constructed underground bunker systems. Some used their appearance to deceive German soldiers, seducing and killing them, while others bombed railway lines and destroyed water supplies. Beyond combat operations, they also cared for the sick and educated children. Batalion traces their experiences from 1939 through ghetto destruction, imprisonment in Gestapo facilities and concentration camps, and for survivors like Renia who escaped from Nazi detention, into later decades. The granddaughter of Polish Holocaust survivors herself, Batalion reveals how these courageous acts remained largely unknown despite their significance. The book documents not only their military contributions but also the bonds between these women and their determination to survive against overwhelming odds.
Genres: history, historical-fiction, 20th-century, non-fiction, biography-memoir, 21st-century, activism, jewish
Vibes: emotional, intimate, thought-provoking
Tropes: female-protagonists, hidden-history, untold-stories
Setting: Poland
Period: 1939, World War II
15 pages · Audio CD · HarperAudio
Content warnings: violence