The Light of Days

Judy Batalion, the granddaughter of Holocaust survivors, discovered an extraordinary story of women who fought the Nazis. The "ghetto girls" paid off Gestapo guards, hid revolvers in loaves of bread and jars of marmalade, helped build systems of underground bunkers. They flirted with Nazis, bought them off with wine, whiskey and home cooking, and shot and killed them. They helped the sick and taught the kids, they bombed German train lines and blew up Vilna's water supply.

There has been no book in the English language that brings together the incredible and integral stories of Jewish female resistance fighters. A propulsive narrative history, THE LIGHT OF DAYS will at last tell the true story of these incredible women. It follows a group of intimately bound resistance fighters in the harrowing year of 1943 as they prepare for insurgence and find themselves in ever graver danger. At its center is Renieh Kukelkohn, a smuggler and messenger from a small city in Poland who scurried by foot and by train across her war torn country at constant risk of death in service of defeating Hitler. The result is an unforgettable story about feminism, female friendship and revolt.

“Original and compelling, an untold story of rare and captivating powerResounding . . . a vigorous narrative that draws on interviews, diaries and other sources . . . a story much in need of telling - Kirkus ReviewJudy Batalion has written a fascinating history about a little-known group who took on the Nazis . . . Batalion tells the untold story of the 'ghetto girls' who carried out espionage missions, bombed German train lines and assassinated Gestapo chiefs. The individual tales of these courageous young women are remarkable - IndependentA remarkable portrait of young Jewish women who fought in the Polish resistance during WWII . . . pays vivid tribute to "the breadth and scope of female courage" - Publishers Weekly”

Resounding . . . a vigorous narrative that draws on interviews, diaries and other sources . . . a story much in need of telling Kirkus Review Original and compelling, an untold story of rare and captivating power

Judy Batalion is the author of WHITE WALLS: A MEMOIR ABOUT MOTHERHOOD, DAUGHTERHOOD AND THE MESS IN BETWEEN. She has written for the New York Times, Vogue, the Washington Post and many other publications. Prior to her writing career, she was an academic and is fluent in both Yiddish and Hebrew.

'Original and compelling, an untold story of rare and captivating power' Philippe Sands 'A fascinating history about a little-known group who took on the Nazis . . . The individual tales of these courageous young women are remarkable' Independent One of the most important untold stories of World War II, The Light of Days is a soaring landmark history that brings to light the extraordinary accomplishments of brave Jewish women who inspired Poland's Jewish youth groups to resist the Nazis.Witnesses to the brutal murder of their families and the violent destruction of their communities, a cadre of Jewish women in Poland - some still in their teens - became the heart of a wide-ranging resistance network that fought the Nazis.With courage, guile and nerves of steel, these 'ghetto girls' smuggled guns in loaves of bread and coded intelligence messages in their plaited hair. They helped build life-saving systems of underground bunkers and sustained thousands of Jews in safe hiding places. They bribed Gestapo guards with liquor, assassinated Nazis and sabotaged German supply lines. The Light of Days at last reveals the real history of these incredible women whose courageous yet little-known feats have been eclipsed by time.

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