Gwen Strauss

★ MILENA AND MARGARETE: A LOVE STORY IN RAVENSBRÜCK                 

Historian Strauss (The Nine) offers a striking biography of two political dissidents who developed an intimate relationship while interned at the Ravensbrück concentration camp during WWII. Czech writer Milena Jesenská had been Kafka's lover (in letters only) and translator before marrying an architect and becoming an antifascist journalist. German communist Margarete Buber- Neumann had been married to the son of philosopher Martin Buber and later to far-left politician Heinz Neumann, with whom she moved to the Soviet Union; the couple were punished during Stalin's purges—Neumann was executed, Margarete was sent to a gulag until a prisoner exchange landed her in Ravensbrück. Immediately drawn to each other, Milena and Margarete were "passionate friends," filling "the vital need… for human touch." Milena became recordkeeper at the infirmary; Margarete, secretary to the head guard. In these roles they saved fellow prisoners from death and committed sabotage—at one point, Margarete was held in solitary confinement for months after being caught tampering with guards' reports to help fellow inmates evade punishment. The duo also gathered evidence of Nazi crimes, intending to write a book and imagining a postwar life together, a dream dashed when Milena died in 1944. Strauss vividly conveys the moral quandary of the couple's roles as assistants to their jailers, and emphasizes how their relationship provided them the motivation to endure. It's a propulsive recounting of a powerful love. 

I had a great time being interviewed on France24 English for the 80th anniversary of the end of the War.

Here's the link

Samedi 8 février à 11h :  au Bleuet « Elles étaient neuf, l'histoire vraie de l'évasion d'un groupe de femmes qui a survécu au pire de l'Allemagne nazie » aux éditions Des Femmes en 2024. Venez la rencontrer autour de ce récit fruit de longues recherches et largement salué par la critique. Au programme : présentation du livre / lectures / échanges avec l'autrice, dédicaces. Buffet partagé : apportez un salé ou un sucré, le Bleuet offre les boissons.

I spent a profound and peaceful month of February 2024. I will forever be grateful for the time, generosity and care, the miracle of lunch basket delivered to my door each day, the bobcat I saw twice, the fireplace, the quiet, and the true repose for my soul. 

• Here's the link to the article

Dan Snow's History's Hits podcast

BBC Radio 4 Women's Hour

inews Interview with Ethan Smallman

Audio podcast version of History's Mysteries interview

A conversation with Dhruv Sharma

French Radio interview with Teddy Follant

For now I will keep quiet about what it is going to be about. Just doing the research and figuring out the structure.

And Panicking!  Can I do this story?

I better get to work...

I had so much fun at the book signing at the Red Wheelbarrow in Paris on June 6th. Guigui's family came: her children, grandchildren and great grandchildren. Other descendants from the other nine women came as well. I felt honored.

The wonderful team at St. Martin's have sold foreign publishing rights to the UK, Canada, Italy, Finland, The Netherlands, Brazil, the Czech Republic, Japan, Poland, Lithuania, China, Romania, Slovakia, France and Hungary! It's a very exciting time. I feel lucky to work with such a brilliant team.