White Rose by Kip Wilson
My rating: 4 of 5 stars
A really worthwhile and good book to read.
First the obvious: it was very touching and hallowed to read what these young people did & went through. The strength of their convictions, their faith, their love of country, family and friends, their patriotism and their willingness to be free thinkers and not just follow what their government and Mai stream media told them. They’d courage is admirable and inspiring.
Secondly: the semantics of this audiobook took my breath away. The story is told from each person’s point of view, shared in tiny segments of 13-25 seconds each, rather than your normal chapters. It gives the listener feels like he’s listening to the actual audio diary of the person speaking - therefore it is enthralling and keeps the listener pinned. Also, from time to time when “Sophie speaks” you hear “bum bum” repeated once or twice. It took me a couple of times to understand what that was: Sophie’s heartbeat! It added a lot to the telling of the story & I could feel my own heartbreak speed up a bit as I listened to that part of the story. Again, making me feel like I was right there living it alongside Sophie.
The book is not long at all. You can read or listen to it in a day. It sure throws light on how some people truly rise with their character & integrity to do what is right and defend their nation and family/friends, no matter the sacrifice, while others rather cover their eyes and ears and not make any waves. I think Sophie said it best:
“The real damage is done by those millions who want to ‘survive.’ The honest men who just want to be left in peace. Those who don’t want their little lives disturbed by anything bigger than themselves. Those with no sides and no causes. Those who won’t take measure of their own strength, for fear of antagonizing their own weakness. Those who don’t like to make waves - Or enemies. Those for whom freedom, honor, truth, and principles are only literature. Those who live small, mate small, die small. It’s the reductionist approach to life: if you keep it small, you will keep it under control. If you don’t make any noise, the bogeyman won’t find you. But it’s all an illusion, because they die too, those people who roll up their spirits in tiny little balls so as to be safe. Safe? From what? Life is always on the edge of death: narrow streets lead to the same place as wide avenues, and a little candle burns itself out just like a flaming torch does. I’ll choose my own way to burn.”
Every teen & adult should read this book. And then watch the movie, which follows pretty closely. What happened to these young people is awful and infuriating. It is truly unfair. Yet their courage, spirit & strength have the power of elevating the reader to greater and better human heights and patriotism.
SO many parallels to today - 79 years later! History truly repeating itself on so many levels!
I’ll end with a couple more great quotes by Sophie:
“Laws change. Conscience doesn’t.”
“My God, glorious Father, transform this ground into fertile earth so your seeds may not fall in vain. Let the longing grow for you, the Creator, that they so often do not want to see. Amen.” - Sophie’s last prayer
“ I know that life is a doorway to eternity, and yet my heart so often gets lost in petty anxieties, it forgets the great way home that lies before it - - “
Read this book - and if you have kids, read it with them and discuss it. (Ages 14+ I would recommend)
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5 comments:
"Reminder:
Jan 6 was not terrorist nor an insurrection."
This is the equivalent of "the holocaust did not exist"
I thought you were going to quit Facebook 1000 times... guess you follow your golden idol and are all talk, accepting no personal responsibility
Ivermectin doesn't prevent severe disease from COVID-19 any more effectively than a snickers, according to a new study published in JAMA Internal Medicine --aka only one of us ended up in a hospital
Anti-Responsibility Culture is about protecting people who spew racism and commit sexual assault and rape, not free speech. Remember.
"Through skiing, I hope to unite people, promote common understanding, create communication, and forge friendships between nations. If I can help inspire a young girl to break a boundary, my wishes will have come true. I know I have a good heart. And I know my reasons for making the decisions I do. They are based on something I feel like is for the greater good. I'm not going to waste my time trying to placate people who are uneducated, and don't experience the gratitude and love I have on a daily basis. If they don't believe me, and if people don't like me, that is their loss: they are never going to win the Olympics."
-Eileen Gu responding to hypocritical bullies that only seek blame others for their own problems and never try to better themselves. Aka Teri.
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