Among the Beasts & Briars

This young readers’ edition tells the remarkable story, lost to history until now, of the Jewish women who became resistance fighters during World War II. It has already been optioned by Steven Spielberg for a major motion picture. As their communities were being destroyed, a group of Jewish women and teenage girls in Poland began transforming Jewish youth groups into resistance factions. These “ghetto girls” helped build systems of underground bunkers, paid off the Gestapo, and bombed German train lines. At the center of the story is eighteen-year-old Renia Kukielka, who traveled across her war-torn country as a weapons smuggler and messenger. Other women who joined the cause served as armed fighters, spies, and saboteurs, all risking their lives for their missions. Adapted for young readers, this book is the incredible account of the strong Jewish women who fought back against the seemingly unstoppable Nazi regime. It follows the women through arrests, internment, and for a lucky few, into the late 20th century and beyond. This book includes an eight-page insert of black-and-white photos, so that kids can see firsthand the extraordinary women who bravely fought for their freedom in the face of overwhelming odds.