The Nine is an account of the escape from captivity of nine young women. All of the women worked with the Resistance during world war two. The author, Gwen Strauss, is the great niece of one of the women. They were captured, beaten, tortured and sent to concentration camps. Some of the women know one another prior to be taking prisoner but they became very close during the time they spent together. Although The Nine is primarily about their escape from captivity during what has become known as the death marches and the events thereafter the author devotes a chapter to each of the women and explains their background and the events leading to their capture. This is a very moving account of the courage and bravery of these women from a variety of backgrounds and countries, France, Holland and Spain. Many people will have memories of knowing and speaking to former servicemen and women however there are many more for whom their only knowledge of horrors of the second world war comes from book which makes this book essential reading.