Flowers in the Gutter by Clare Tracy

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Book & Author

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Flowers in the Gutter by K. R. Gaddy

Why I chose to read this book

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I chose to read this book because it is about people that are around my age. I wanted to see what people my age did to act against the Nazi’s.

Who the story if focused on

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The story focuses on 3 teenagers that were part of a group called the Edelweiss Pirates; they were a group that were against the Nazis. The 3 teenagers are Gertrud, Fritz, and Jean and they never really interact with each other but they are all Pirates. All 3 of them love to be in nature and go on hikes so they do even though it is illegal.

1. Gertrud

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Gertrud was staying at another Pirate’s house when a group of SS officers came and arrested all of them. She was but in a prison and was questioned, starved, and beaten. After about a month she got released.

2. Jean

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Jean was visiting another Pirate that had a stash of weapons but Gestapo had taken the apartment and arrested Jean. Jean was then taken to a prison and kept moving to different prisons until the war ended.

3. Fritz

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Fritz was arrested and but in a labor camp and forced to work. He learned the trains that went by and then planned his escape with another person. He was able to escape but was on the run. The police ended up finding him but they let him go.

When the story takes place

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The story takes place in Cologne, Germany and it starts in 1942 and goes until 1945. The story follows what the pirates went through during this time and what happened to them. It takes place over multiple years because the war lasted a long time making what they went through last that long too.

How did the time period affect the story

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Lots of people were poor during this time and had to get rations to live. If you were not super rich then you did not live in comfort. Also if you were not part of the Hitler Youth you did not have respect and were not treated well. All of the pirates quit the Hitler youth or anything to do with the Nazis so they were not treated well. They also all relied on rations because they did not have a lot of money.

Where the main action took place

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It mostly takes place in Cologne, Germany but it does change places when the main characters move to other parts of Germany. Most of the story is set in Cologne but some parts are in places like prison camps or in forests when the pirates are camping.

How the places impacted the story

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Living in Cologne during this time was not easy. By the end of the book the city was in ruin because of all of the air raids that happened. Cologne constantly had bombs dropped on the city so that led to the destruction. This made living for them even worse than it already was for the pirates.

Lesson/message to take away

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The author's purpose in writing this book was to bring more awareness to what the Pirates did to fight against Nazis. Also to show the things that teenagers are capable of even if they are young.

How I know

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At the end of the book the author shares some history on how the Pirates were not recognized as a resistance group. After the war people saw the Pirates as criminals and unorganized kids doing illegal activities, but that is not what they were. The Pirates did resist the Nazis and even though they were not all organized they should still be seen as a resistance group. In the end the Pirates were recognized as a resistance group.

Effect of the authors personal life

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In the last bit of the book the author shares how she learned about a different resistance group from this time but never heard about the Pirates. She did not hear about the Pirates because this history was controlled so she wanted to bring awareness to the Pirates.

Ethos

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The characters in this story are all real people that went through these things. This story is basically one story composed of the Mandy stories these people shared with the world.

Pathos

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She used pathos in this story by describing all of the terrible things that the characters had to go through during this time. When the bad things happened they normally lead to the character wanting to do even more to oppose the Nazis.

Logos

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She used real documents and reports from the Nazis during this time. These reports gave the reader information that the characters did not have. This let us have an inside look on what the Nazis were doing and planning.

Important Quote

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“The more they did, the bigger impact they could have, even if it also meant more danger. That was when they decided to drop flyers at the main train station in Cologne.” (Gaddy).

Found on

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Page 94 to page 95

Zombie by The Cranberries

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Connection

27catracy — 2025-04-23 22:56:36 UTC

This song connects to the book because it talks about guns and bombs in someone’s head but in the book there are really bombs and guns that the people have to face. It also talks about violence causing silence and when the Pirates were questioned they decided to remain silent.

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Belfast High School History. “WHO WERE the EDELWEISS PIRATES.” YouTube, 11 Apr. 2020, www.youtube.com/watch?v=FX1KOR4Df1E. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

die. “Verfolgung von Jugendlichen Im NS - Fritz Theilen.” Verfolgung-Von-Jugendlichen-Im-Ns.de, Du bist anders, 2025, www.verfolgung-von-jugendlichen-im-ns.de/biographies/fritz-theilen. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Gaddy, K R. Flowers in the Gutter : The True Story of the Edelweiss Pirates, Teenagers Who Resisted the Nazis. New York, Dutton Books, 2020.

Gaddy, Kristina. “When Is Resistance Right?” Dilettante Army, 18 Feb. 2020, dilettantearmy.com/articles/when-is-resistance-right. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

“Redirect Notice.” Google.com, 2025, www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.gpsmycity.com%2Fattractions%2Froonstrasse-synagogue-39629.html&psig=AOvVaw1pfJGMGpt8HqDzjwcxg7Vq&ust=1745532003086000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCICl9--T74wDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAE. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

“Redirect Notice.” Google.com, 2025, www.google.com/url?sa=i&url=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.amazon.com%2FFlowers-Gutter-Edelweiss-Teenagers-Resisted%2Fdp%2F0525555412&psig=AOvVaw2tKwu9W3c5kKSk7sPR5qB4&ust=1745532258014000&source=images&cd=vfe&opi=89978449&ved=0CBQQjRxqFwoTCMCrqv6U74wDFQAAAAAdAAAAABAK. Accessed 23 Apr. 2025.

Rosthorn, Andrew. “Jean Jülich: One of the Edelweiss Pirates, Who Resisted the Nazis.” The Independent, 10 Nov. 2011, www.independent.co.uk/news/obituaries/jean-julich-one-of-the-edelweiss-pirates-who-resisted-the-nazis-6259542.html.

The Cranberries. “The Cranberries - Zombie (Official Music Video).” YouTube, 16 June 2009, www.youtube.com/watch?v=6Ejga4kJUts.

Gertrud Kühlem (genannt Mucki), 1943,” "heimlich, laut und leise", zuletzt aufgerufen am 23. April 2025, https://ausstellungen.deutsche-digitale-bibliothek.de/heimlich-laut-und-leise/items/show/70.