Review: White Rose by Kip Wilson
2:27 PM
Am I still crying? Absolutely.
ABOUT
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.
Rating: ★★★★★
I was sent an ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form.
I was sent an ARC of this novel from the publisher in exchange for my honest review. This does not change my view in any shape or form.
It's Sunday, and I'm feeling like my only accomplishment this week was in reading White Rose. It's just completely taken over my thoughts in the best way imaginable and I'm a little bit of an emotional wreck over it. So much to say, so few ways to express it adequately. I guess all I can do is try.
Good literature presents itself to us in a manner that makes us pause and take notice. It gets under our skin and lives there with us, burrowed, until we're gone. The words within it never pause, but it feels like our hearts do.
White Rose is one of those books. It takes history and tells it to us in the most intimate of ways: through verse.
In truth, it is such a beautiful, thought-provoking and utterly unforgettable read. For those who don’t know the history behind the activists within White Rose, this is the perfect read to learn more. Kip Wilson doesn't dip in and out on creative liberties vs. the actual history; it is all beautifully done and doesn't cheapen the real story.
Although it is historical fiction told in verse, it packs a serious punch and tells us the story of Sophie Scholl—who, in university, along with her brother Hans, and like minded friends, took great risks in speaking out against H*tler. The group is remembered for printing and distributing pamphlets against the regime and the fallout via their arrests and eventual execution.
As Kip Wilson tells the story in verse, the intimacy behind White Rose is all the more striking to readers and impossible to put down. The fact that it is told in verse makes it all the more vivid and deeply moving and I can't stress that enough. As readers, we get to watch as Sophie grows and grows into the acts of defiance and rebellion that would solidify her name in history.
In a time where so many stood by idly, this young woman, and her friends, and her family, didn't. It is in these acts of defiance that we feel the story as more than just a chapter of history. White Rose is one of the best releases of 2019 and frankly, one of the most poignant debuts of all time. I couldn't forget it, even if I wanted to.
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