“When thrust into a situation as intense and traumatic as war, and facing possible extermination, no two people will respond in the same way. Some will collapse, others will betray, and others will try to ignore the calamity. But in those same circumstances, some will emerge with honor and rise as heroes. However, it is important to note that because of the horrifying and extraordinary nature of the holocaust, any attempt to judge the actions of anyone through a ‘normal’ lens would likely reflect a poor understanding of just how difficult the circumstances were…May we never forget. May we live with honor at all times, regardless of our circumstances. And may we choose love, a weapon that will defeat hate every single time. Love is the resistance.” -Jennifer A. Nielsen, Afterward

In the August, 2023 episode of Our Reading Life, Tanya Arnold and I discussed why we are so impressed with Jennifer A. Nielsen’s historical fiction. Many of her stories are set in war settings that are mostly unfamiliar to the average reader. The stories feature teens who are coming of age in hellish circumstances that are more unbelievable than the best fiction. The teens behave in ways that are consistent with their age and culture. But these same teens are also being refined in the fires of terror, grief, and suffering. Some of her books are stronger than others. This one, Resistance, is the hardest and yet the best that I have read so far. 

“Over my sixteen years, I’d lived three different lives. The first was my childhood, full of peace and beauty and memories that lingered in my mind like a faint perfume, sweet but always out of reach. My father owned a shoe repair shop, and Mama used to sing as she cooked us masterpieces of fish baked in cream sauce, or lamb dumplings, her speciality . . . Our lives used to be perfect. Used to be. The Germans invaded Poland on my thirteenth birthday, a Blitzkrieg that came with tanks and bombers and thousands of deaths before our country surrendered that same month. Poland became occupied territory under Germany’s control and Krakow replaced Warsaw as its new capital city. With our country’s waving the white flag, thus began my second life: enduring the occupation. New laws and regulations were immediately instituted, most of them targeting my people. . .  The Judenrat official in front of him shifted his eyes to me, and I will forever remember the  tone of his voice as he spoke: without emotion, or concern . . . A new  order has come from the Germans. Most of the Jews still in Krakow must leave the city. Your daughter’s name will be on tomorrow’s list. That’s when my world caved in . . . A few days later my third life began . . .”

Resistance, Chapter 2

Resistance is set in the WWII Jewish ghettos of Poland. When the story opens, we meet sixteen-year-old Chaya Linder – an Aryan-looking Polish Jew who has been exiled from her family and the city. When Chaya’s name appears on a list banishing her from the city in 1941, she heads into the countryside with the hope that her grandmother can take her in. After three days of walking and trusting no one, Chaya is cold, lonely, and hungry. Remembering Shimson and Gusta Draenger from the days when they led her Jewish Scout group, Akiva, Chaya turns off from the road to stop at their farm in the hopes that they might give her shelter and a meal for one night. When Gusta greets Chaya, she assures her that she is welcome for as long as she wishes to stay. And, if she did stay, there was work that she could do. 

During that summer, the farm became a home to many former scouts who slowly grew into a family. By day, they would work on the farm, and at night they would study and socialize. It was a good life for a season. And a good reminder of why freedom was worth fighting for. But, as news of more and more Jewish relocations trickled in, so too did the devastating news of so many Jewish executions. Every Akiva member was grieving the loss of someone. And then, there were too many of them and too many curious neighbors. By early summer of 1942, the news of mass graves in the forests, trainloads of Jews headed to death camps, and routine executions in the streets had made it impossible to ignore that the Germans were not simply relocating the Jews. They were systematically exterminating them.

“Shimshon stood. ‘Our situation is becoming clear. It is time for Akiva to make a choice. Do we remain a scout group, pretending the war isn’t happening to us and never will? Or do we become something more? Let us decide fate before it is decided for us.’

“Standing beside him, Gusta said, ‘Let’s be clear. Any decision we make will end with our deaths. If we do nothing, if we wait here, it’s only a matter of time before the Germans come for us and put us on the same trains.”

The Akiva scouts agreed to join other Jewish resistance forces, knowing that none of them could hope to live. All that they could do is work to die on their feet causing as much chaos and harm to the Germans as possible.

This part of the story is told through page 24. This is how it begins. The rest of the story tells how Chaya uses her life to do just that. The characters of Shimshon and Gusta Draenger are real people. According to the Afterward, after she was arrested, Gusta dictated her story to the women in her prison. Five copies of her story were written on toilet paper and smuggled out of prison, and her narrative lives on today in a book named Justyna’s Story. 

Chaya becomes a courier and spends her days smuggling food and medicine into the Krakow ghetto while smuggling people out. But, at a certain point, it becomes necessary for the Akiva resistance to fight back against the German occupiers. In a coordinated attack on the Nazis, many of the Akiva members are captured and tortured. Someone breaks and gives up the location of the safe house. Most of the other members of the group are shot or arrested. It is a devastating blow for the resistance. But, Chaya and a few others survive and learn valuable lessons from that attack and its fallout. This is based on true events.

“Defense in the ghetto has become a fact. Armed Jewish resistance and revenge are actually happening. I have witnessed the glorious and heroic combat of the Jewish fighters.” -Excerpt from the last letter of Mordecai Anielewicz, April 23, 1943

Chaya takes that information ultimately to Warsaw where she meets up with other resistance groups. The lion’s share of the story covers Chaya’s journey to Warsaw and then her role in that major resistance movement. 

“. . . the Warsaw Ghetto Uprising was never going to result in victory over the German forces. But the effects of what the Jewish people accomplished there, in managing to stave off the Nazis for nearly a month, reverberated through Poland and all of occupied Europe.”

This excellent story is full of sadness and loss, but it also makes my heart swell with pride for the Jewish people who fought back against the worst of evils. They were heroes for all of humanity. 

This story is clean and appropriate for any reader who can handle the grisly realities of German occupation and their unceremonious disregard for human life. So many characters in this story were real people, most of whom died “standing on their feet” for what is right. Like Tanya and I said in the podcast episode, Nielsen strikes just the right note. The grim realities are there, but they are represented so tastefully that they are not overburdensome. When a character is tortured, we hear only the highlights after the fact. When a character sacrifices her life for the group, we watch her rise to meet her killers and witness her lead them away from those she is protecting. We know that she is shot but we do not see it happen. 

While I enjoyed Words on Fire more, this one lives more prominently in my mind and heart. This is excellent, and I highly recommend it for readers who are mature enough to face the ghettos. This would be a little more challenging than The Borrowed House but not too challenging for tween and teen readers. I strongly recommend this as a teen book club because this one deserves much discussion.