Flowers in the Gutter, K. R. Gaddy
Flowers in the Gutter, K. R. Gaddy
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Flowers in the Gutter
The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers Who Resisted the Nazis

Author: K. R. Gaddy

Narrator: Natasha Soudek

Unabridged: 7 hr 46 min

Format: Digital Audiobook Download

Published: 01/07/2020


Synopsis

The true story of the Edelweiss Pirates, working-class teenagers who fought the Nazis by whatever means they could.

Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean were classic outsiders: their clothes were different, their music was rebellious, and they weren’t afraid to fight. But they were also Germans living under Hitler, and any nonconformity could get them arrested or worse. As children in 1933, they saw their world change. Their earliest memories were of the Nazi rise to power and of their parents fighting Brownshirts in the streets, being sent to prison, or just disappearing.

As Hitler’s grip tightened, these three found themselves trapped in a nation whose government contradicted everything they believed in. And by the time they were teenagers, the Nazis expected them to be part of the war machine. Fritz, Gertrud, and Jean and hundreds like them said no. They grew bolder, painting anti-Nazi graffiti, distributing anti-war leaflets, and helping those persecuted by the Nazis. Their actions were always dangerous. The Gestapo pursued and arrested hundreds of Edelweiss Pirates. In World War II’s desperate final year, some Pirates joined in sabotage and armed resistance, risking the Third Reich’s ultimate punishment. This is their story.

About The Author

K. R. Gaddy is a freelance writer and historian. Her work has appeared in the Washington Post, Baltimore Sun, Bitch Magazine, Narratively, Proximity, Atlas Obscura, and OZY, among other publications. She received a Robert W. Deutsch Foundation Rubys Artist Grant for her writing and research.


Reviews

Goodreads review by Leslie on August 08, 2021

K.R. Gaddy’s “Flowers in the Gutter: The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers who Resisted the Nazis,” This is a fascinating, excellently told history that deserves a wide audience. The Edelweiss Pirates and The White Rose are not known by many both this book and the Original Edelweiss Pir......more

Goodreads review by Audrey on September 23, 2021

Hmm. What do you say about a book like this! It has the idea taken from the Edelweiss Pirates Series, Operation Einstein and its promising but it fails to deliver. This would be almost impossible to hold teens interest, its dull. It jumps about and I have to ask who's POV is this now? The characters w......more

Goodreads review by The Nerd Daily on January 06, 2020

Originally published on The Nerd Daily | Review by Seven Jane Written with the young reader in mind, meticulously researched, and brilliantly crafted is K.R. Gaddy’s Flowers in the Gutter. It is a story of heroism and resistance that will inspire readers to stand up and fight for what’s right. Flowers......more

Goodreads review by Melanie on October 24, 2019

I did not finish this book as it is too advanced for my library patrons and was not enough of the narrative non-fiction that I enjoy. As a lesser known group who did all they could to resist Hitler, many will be drawn to this book on the Edelweiss Pirates. I was not impressed with the writing of K.......more

Goodreads review by Chris on November 03, 2021

Disappointing. Such a great opportunity to write about the Edelweiss Pirates missed by poor research, gaps in the story.. Not really as good as any of the other novels I have read on the subject.......more


Quotes

★"This matter-of-fact narrative shows how youth can stand against an overwhelming tide of fascism. It implicatively asks readers, 'what would you do?' while highlighting the actions of young people who refused to be complacent—and the consequences they suffered for it. It challenges common narratives that reserve praise for resistance for the politically centrist middle and upper classes. An eye-opening account of tenacity that brings the efforts of young anti-Nazi activists vividly to life."—Kirkus Reviews, starred review.

★"[C]arefully and expertly researched. [...] Readers will enjoy learning about these resistance groups in this truly new and unique addition to the YA World War II literary canon. A must-read."—School Library Journal, starred review.

"The stories of these brave children need to be more well-known and further underscore just how much children and young adults have always led the way in political activism and resistance against evils. A deeply affecting book."—Teen Librarian Toolbox

"[A] beacon of inspiration to today’s youth."—Nerd Daily

"Supplemented by pictures and documents, Gaddy’s thorough research shines a light on a heroic group of Germans that often goes unmentioned."—Booklist

A School Library Journal Best Book of the Year