A meticulous portrait of five women central to the resistance movement within the Warsaw Ghetto during WWII. . . . Hyman sheds intriguing light on how the political and gender dynamics of Eastern European Jewish society between the two world wars prepared the young women for their resistance work. . . . . the tales relayed here are tense and gripping. It’s a spellbinding saga of daring acts of resistance in the face of certain death.” — Publishers Weekly
“In this uncompromisingly terrifying work of historical recovery, historian Hyman writes of the lives of the young women who led Polish Jewry into a period of confident self-awareness and then, ultimately, to the great and self-annihilating resistance of the Warsaw Ghetto uprising of 1943. . . . . They come alive in letters, memoirs, and reminiscences. Theirs is a story of friendship against hardship. . . We have no statues to their courage. Instead, we have this book. Women of the Jewish resistance come alive in this revisionary history of the Polish Holocaust.” — Kirkus Reviews
“Readers will still be entranced by all the emotion and intrigue of this emotional and thrilling account. A superb addition to World War II and Holocaust history, recommended for all general collections.” — Library Journal
“Hyman brings these women and their heroic struggles to life. Their stories illustrate the background of organization and activism that provided the basis for Jewish resistance and collaboration with other anti-Nazi and Polish national groups. An interesting and necessary addition to Holocaust and history collections.” — Booklist
"If you have any interest in history, WWII, the Holocaust, or amazing stories of courageous and resilient humans that you likely haven’t heard before, you should definitely check out this book." — The Gloss
"‘Sensitive yet ambitious’, like the women it evokes, The Girl Bandits of the Warsaw Ghetto is a powerful and important addition to the literature on the Holocaust." — Clare Mulley, author of Agent Zo and The Women Who Flew for Hitler
"Captivating from the first pages, this ingeniously written book follows the intertwined journeys, close calls, and moments of normality of young Jewish women who smuggled messages, money and weapons for the Jewish resistance in the Warsaw ghetto, served as witnesses to the Holocaust, stitched together impressive networks of self-help, and fought against Jews’ oppressors. Hyman tells this riveting history through the voices and memories of women who refused to surrender while never losing sight of the contexts that shaped the women’s choices, decisions, and actions. A brilliant testament to Jewish resilience in extremis." — Joanna Sliwa, co-author of The Counterfeit Countess: The Jewish Woman Who Rescued Thousands of Poles during the Holocaust
"A gifted storyteller, Elizabeth Hyman reminded me once again that the women we both study are not just figures from history but complex human beings making excruciating decisions and trying to make sense of what they were being forced to endure as best they could. This book deserves to be read widely." — Dr. Zoë Waxman, Professor of Holocaust History, University of Oxford
