White Rose

Wilson, Kip. White Rose. 2019. 368p. $17.99. ISBN 978-0-3580-4917-3. Available at FIC WIL on the library shelves.

Sophia Scholl is growing up in a 1930s Germany that has changed dramatically since Hitler gained power. The Nazis have reshaped society and are targeting large segments of the population for oppression: Jews, handicapped folks and those who are opposed to the regime. Sophia and her brothers and sisters are at first proud of their new uniforms and look up to Hitler, but requirements to conform and the burning of books have turned Sophia against the Nazis. When the war starts and her brothers and boyfriend are sent to the front, Sophia wants to fight back. An opportunity presents itself when her brother returns and begins to print pamphlets denouncing the Nazis and their actions. Sophia joins wholeheartedly, knowing that her participation in this conspiracy could lead to her death. Desperate to save Germany from Hitler, Sophia is willing to risk it all.

 The White Rose, a group of friends who attended university together, distributed anti-Nazi information in 1942 and 1943, before they were arrested and executed. Told in terse verses, Sophia’s life is presented in alternating sections of Before and The End. An economy of words helps the reader focus on Sophia’s actions and emotions. Effective research reconstructs Sophia’s world and clearly demonstrates her dedication to defeating Hitler. Her feelings are raw and capture the tension that Germans must have felt as their world changed for the worse. White Rose will appeal to fans of historical fiction as well as those who wonder how far they would be willing to go to stand up and defend their beliefs.