The Traitor

The Traitor is a compelling weave of fiction and imaginatively structured fact. A story that relives the harrowing days in Germany under Nazi rule, where young men and women espouse bravery, loyalty and fortitude in their opposition to the Nazi ideology. In 1942 several students at the University of Munich, led by brother and sister, Hans and Sophie Scholl, founded a non-violent, intellectual resistance group to the Nazi regime, called The White Rose (die Weiße Rose). The group conducted a leaflet and graffiti campaign to illustrate how Nazi power was destroying freedom and social values, killing millions of innocent people, and conducting an unjust war at the behest of a megalomaniac and his party.

The White Rose Group risked their lives to challenge Hitler’s regime and the leaders were finally caught after a caretaker at the University of Munich reported them to the Gestapo. Siblings Sophie and Hans, along with their friend Christoph Probst, were executed by guillotine on 22 February 1943. Not only were the three friends inspirational and brave conducting their opposition campaign but as they each went to their deaths, they remained committed to their cause, loyal to their colleagues, and resolute to the end. Hans Scholl’s last words were “Let Freedom Live”, and Sophie stood upright and determined at her trial constantly challenging the partisan judge. They were tried and executed the same day.

The true story resonated deeply with me, how young men and women can assume the selfless dedication and bravery at a time in history where cruel lurking horror was commonplace. This story is truly inspirational.

“When you see the world in all its enchanting beauty, you’re sometimes reluctant to concede that the other side of the coin exists. The antithesis exists here, as it does everywhere, if only you open your eyes to it. But here the antithesis is accentuated by war to such an extent that a weak person sometimes can’t endure it.”

The fictional aspects of the story place a young Russian-German woman Natalya Irenaovich Petrovich as a member of the White Rose Group. Natalya and her friend Lisa Kolbe undertake various ventures throughout the story as they stray dangerously close to the authorities and discovery. V.S. Alexander writes a fictional novel through the eyes of Natalya and creates a wonderfully absorbing story with an authentic concern for the real activities of the White Rose Group. The characters illustrate the pervasive fear existing in German society at the time and how they struggled to maintain secrecy and caution, with everyone that they encountered. The atmosphere of suspicion and the anxiety of what has become normal life is extremely well depicted.

What V.S. Alexander has achieved is the blending of actual inspirational moments in history with such a compelling fictional narrative that creates an outstanding novel. It is fitting that this book is released in February. I would highly recommend this book and I’d like to thank Harper Collins, One More Chapter and NetGalley for providing me with a free ARC copy of the book in return for an honest review.

Resist the only way we can

The Traitor is a fiction novel based on the true story of "The White Rose" a resistance group formed by College Students Hans and Sophia Scholl and their college friends. The main character is a friend and a member of the group Natalya, her friend Lisa and the villain is a boy named Garrick who pretends to like Natalya in order to infiltrate the group. He is really a Gestapo agent.

The White Rose group really existed and Hans and Sophia Scholl were the leaders. There were many members of this group. The group made flyers against Hitler and distributed them throughout Germany telling the people of the horrible things Hitler was doing. They also wrote messages in paint like Down with Hitler and Hitler is a murderer, drew swastikas' on buildings and put a red X through them. Many of the members were caught and murdered with the guillotine by the Nazi's.

In the story Natalya's life was spared and she was sent to prison on the word by Garrick that she would spy for them in prison and help them catch other resistance members. She never did.

This is the story of Natalya through her association with the White Rose, imprisonment, time in the asylum where Garrick had her sent trying to catch other resistance members to the escape from the asylum and a safe house to her meeting with her future husband Manfred and work at a POW camp. It is the story of how she survived, her family, her cat named Katz and that of her friends.

The book is a story of Patriotism, Resistance in the face of death, love of family, a lot of courage and a great ending. The book kept me reading until wee hours in the morning. I would definitely recommend it.

Thanks to V.S. Alexander, Harper Collins UK One More Chapter, and NetGalley for allowing me to read an advanced copy of the book for an honest review.

The Traitor by V.S. Alexander is based on a true story regarding the White rose resistance movement. A group of students that attended the University of Munich resisted against the Nazi Regime. Most of the group where executed including Hans and Sophie Scholl, who are real, but the main character is fictional
Natalya Petrovich was born in Russia but came to Germany with her parents to get a better life and away from the Stalin regime. She attends the University of Munich. She also volunteers as a nurse at the front and sees the horrors that take place there. She gets involved with the White Rose movements distributing leaflets. Risking her life going to different towns to spread the word. She also meets Garrick who tries to befriend her and wants to find out more about the movement, but can he be trusted?
I have read several books of this period but, I wasn’t aware of White Rose movement until I read this book. This book is not a book to shock you as White rose was a peaceful movement, but it tells you that not all Germans in that time where bad. They were also victims of the war and the part they played to try and stop it. A well written, fictional account of what happened and if you like me like these types of books I highly recommend.