White Rose - Softcover

Wilson, Kip

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0358376696 ISBN 13: 9780358376699

Publisher: Versify, 2021

Synopsis

“In a searing indictment of silent complicity, White Rose shines a light on one remarkable young woman’s insistence on the power of truth, no matter the cost. A timely call to resistance.” – Joy McCullough, author of Blood Water Paint

“White Rose is a resonant testament to courage. In a time of horrific brutality, young people found a nonviolent way to resist. Told in the form of poetry, the story of their hopes is honored and brought back to life, still relevant today, when regimes that spread hatred are once again thriving, and words are our most powerful defensive weapon.”  – Margarita Engle, author of Newbery Honoree The Surrender Tree and 2017-2019 Young People's Poet Laureate.

"Both heart-wrenching and inspiring, Sophie Scholl's story, as retold by Kip Wilson in White Rose, is a stunning reminder to stand against evil, even when you stand alone. This is the kind of book that sticks in your heart long after you've finished. An incredible story of heroism incredibly told." – Mackenzi Lee, author of New York Times Bestseller The Gentleman’s Guide to Vice & Virtue

"White Rose is a deftly plotted, absorbing read. A bold tribute to a brave hero of the German resistance during World War II. Wilson’s debut is a triumph!"
—Melanie Crowder, author of National Jewish Book Award finalist Audacity

“A graceful, moving portrait of a heroic young woman’s defiant refusal to remain complicit with Nazi oppression.” – Julie Berry, Printz Honor author of The Passion of Dolssa
 A gorgeous and timely novel based on the incredible story of Sophie Scholl, a young German college student who challenged the Nazi regime during World War II as part of The White Rose, a non-violent resistance group.

Disillusioned by the propaganda of Nazi Germany, Sophie Scholl, her brother, and his fellow soldiers formed the White Rose, a group that wrote and distributed anonymous letters criticizing the Nazi regime and calling for action from their fellow German citizens. The following year, Sophie and her brother were arrested for treason and interrogated for information about their collaborators. This debut novel recounts the lives of Sophie and her friends and highlights their brave stand against fascism in Nazi Germany.

About this title

About the Author

Kip Wilson is the author of White Rose, which won the Malka Penn Award for Human Rights in Children’s Literature, and the Poetry Editor of the Young Adult Review Network. She has a Ph.D. in German Literature. She is also the winner of the PEN/New England Susan P. Bloom Discovery Award and her work has appeared in several children's literary magazines. She lives in Boston, MA. Find her online at www.kipwilsonwrites.com, on Twitter @kiperoo, and on Instagram @kipwilsonwrites.

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

FEBRUARY 18, 1943

Gestapo Headquarters

The cars screech to a
halt, officers pull
us out by the arms, haul
us inside and off to
          separate
rooms, my heartbeat
pounding
all the while,
boom-boom,
boom-boom.

They swing
the door shut, unlock
my handcuffs, order
me to sit, rush about with
coats, hats, cases, papers
as I try not
to give in to the
overwhelming,
          sickening
knowledge spreading through me:
the two of us are trapped
in this net because
of me.
Boom-boom,
boom-boom.

I take
a deep breath and prepare
to fight
for our lives.

INTERROGATION

I carefully blend
a cupful of lies
into the bucket of truth
spread out in front of me
as Herr Mohr shoots
question after question,
trying to catch me off-guard.

                                                  Fräulein Scholl, why were you carrying
                                                  an empty suitcase with you to the university?

So I could pick up clean laundry
from home.

                                                  And why were you at the university
                                                  if you were planning to head to Ulm?

So I could let my friend Gisela know
I couldn’t meet her for lunch after all.

                                                  Why were you and your brother
                                                  in the corridor upstairs?

So I could show him the Psychological Institute
where I take classes.

His eyes narrow,
his voice icy,
Herr Mohr is good at this,
but he doesn’t know
that I’m good, too.
Boom-boom,
boom-boom.

My voice sounds
so calm telling these lies,
I barely recognize
the words as my own.

Edition details

• Publisher: Versify
• Publication date: 2021
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0358376696
• ISBN 13: 9780358376699
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 368