Rose Under Fire by Elizabeth Wein

Pages: 346
Intended Audience: Mature teens
Genre: Historical / War
Notes for Parents: Some mild language; graphic descriptions of abuse and neglect carried out at the Ravensbrück Concentration Camp in Germany, including medical experiments and mass murder.

The Back Cover

When 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 whose Jewish husband and three young sons have been killed; a resilient young Polish girl who has been used as a human guinea pig by Nazi doctors; and a female fighter pilot and military ace 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 these fellow prisoners. But will hope be enough to enable Rose to endure the fate that is in store for her?

What the cover doesn’t tell you:

This is a companion novel to Wein’s Code Name Verity.

What’s good?

This is an intensely emotional story about the depths of human cruelty that is not for the faint of heart. Characterization was key as we got to know the prisoners – victims of the Nazi regime – and witnessed their desperation. Rose’s six months seems like an eternity as the desperation of the women of Ravensbrück grows palpable. The plot is deliberate and grinding, allowing us to watch the painful transformation of a woman who was once an adventurous, confident pilot. Rose’s poetry serves as a beacon of light.
Best Part: The Rabbits

What isn’t good?
As with Code Name Verity, it has a slow start and includes a lot of technical airplane talk that adds very little to the story. Luckily, the pace picks up quickly when Rose is captured.
Worst part: The beginning.

Recommendation þþþþo

If you can stick with this book during its slow start and slog through some of the technical jargon, there is a gem to be found. This is an honest fictional account of a horrifying historical reality. Definitely recommended.

Wein, Elizabeth. Rose Under Fire. New York: Hyperion, 2013. (Hardcover)