The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck

A tale of great enterprise and great fortitude, and of wonderful female solidarity and nobility of spirit, in the bleakest of circumstances.

For decades after World War II, histories of the French Resistance were written almost exclusively by men and largely ignored the contributions of women. Many current overviews of the subject continue to underplay the extent and importance of women's participation in the Resistance, treating the subject, in the words of one historian, as 'an anonymous background element in an essentially male story'.

The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck corrects that omission, surveying the bond between four women—Germaine Tillion, Anise Girard, Genevieve de Gaulle, and Jacqueline d'Alincourt—who fought valiantly against Nazi oppression. While the women belonged to different Resistance movements and networks, they were united by a common thread: they were arrested by the Gestapo, underwent merciless interrogations and beatings, were jailed—and, most significantly, survived, if just barely, the hell of Ravensbruck, the only concentration camp designed specifically for women. In an institution designed to dehumanise and kill, the sisterhood maintained their sense of self and joined together to face down death.

Remarkably, in the aftermath of World War II, the women once again joined forces to find a way to transcend the horrors of the war and turn it into something good for themselves and the world. The Sisterhood of Ravensbruck is an illuminating, inspiring account.

'Agents of the French Resistance find life-lasting, soul-saving, history-changing friendships in an all-female concentration camp ... The author's portrayal of the women's postwar work, relationships, and notoriety inspires even greater awe at their widespread, ongoing positive impact. Both devastating and galvanising, an account of how the best of humanity can rise to oppose the very worst.'
-Kirkus Reviews

'Historian Olson takes a piercing look at the Ravensbruck concentration camp through the experiences of four female French Resistance fighters imprisoned there ... Crisp, visceral prose makes this moving, heartwrenching, and powerful testament to the power of chosen sisterhood and found family a true standout.'
-Booklist, starred review

'Alternately chilling and inspiring, Sisterhood takes us into Nazi Germany's notorious concentration camp for women, Ravensbruck, as a band of captive French partisans struggles to survive and bolster one another against unimaginable cruelty. Olson demonstrates yet again that she is a master not only of deep and difficult research, but also of gripping nonfiction narrative.'
-Erik Larson, New York Times bestselling author of The Demon of Unrest and In the Garden of the Beasts