New Foreword by Katherine Paterson
Best Book of the Year—American Literary Association
Hiltgunt Zassenhaus was 17 when she first resisted the Third Reich by refusing to give the “Heil Hitler” salute in her high school. Later, as the terrible events of wartime Germany swirled around her, she risked death to smuggle food, medicine, and emotional support to hundreds of political prisoners, ultimately saving them from mass execution by the Nazis. Walls is her story.
For her wartime work, Zassenhaus was nominated for the Nobel Peace Prize in 1974. Walls was named on of the 25 best books of 1974 for young adults by the American Library Association and received a Christopher Award in 1975.
“An admirable memoir, set down in cool reflection but charged with inescapable emotion.” —The New Yorker
“A fine adventure story and a good inspirational tale. . . . When so many of us seem crippled by the numbness we see in our society, Walls reminds us of the power of individual conscience.” —The Nation
“I recommend Walls to everyone . . . as both an inspiration and a warning.” —Ms. Magazine
“The suspenseful and dramatic story of one courageous woman’s bold deception of the Gestapo.” —Book-of-the-Month Club News
“Dr. Zassenhaus . . . has written a breath-taking account of her undercover work among prisoners scattered all over Germany.” —Horn Book