Last night a Goodreads reader named Cynthia posted a question on my page: “What will you do if Lilac Girls wins The Goodreads Reader’s Choice Award?” I told Cynthia I would shout it to the rooftops since my goal in writing the book was to get the word out about this incredible group of Polish political prisoners, The Rabbits, who endured so much after surviving Nazi experiments at Ravensbruck.
That is so true, but this morning I woke up thinking of another special group of women, the Rabbits who didn’t survive. Nine young women who also lived through the brutal experiments but were marched, some of them carried, since they were still recovering, to the shooting wall and executed. All because they volunteered in the Polish underground to sabotage the Nazi effort.
It has been a teary morning assembling their pictures, such lovely young women who never had a chance at life, but I wanted to post their faces and names so we can remember and honor them for their courage and dedication to fighting the Nazis, for standing up for what is right.
Thank you for supporting Lilac Girls. Thanks to you, the whole world is learning their story. And it has only just begun.
Irena Poborowna (center) Clockwise from top: Janina Flak, Wanda Kakowska, Wanda Polakowska, Malgorzata Dembowska, Romana Sekula, Zofia Szachowicz, Henryka Dembowska, Krystyna Krauzowna.
I love this new batch of Caroline Ferriday photos, especially this one of Caroline and her friend Helena Piasecka. Helena was one of the four so-called “Rabbits” who not only stayed with Caroline on their trip to America, but also married in the states and became one of Caroline’s lifelong friends. They are so happy to be together and Caroline’s whole look is amazing. Would love to know who took the picture!
