Rose Under Fire Summary
Elizabeth Wein

Rose Under Fire Overview

Rose Under Fire, a historical fiction novel written by Elizabeth Wein, follows Rose, an American Air Transport Auxiliary pilot and developing poet transporting planes across Europe during World War II. After attempting to destroy a German flying bomb with her plane, she is captured by Germans and ends up in a women’s work camp named Ravensbrück. During her time at the camp, despite the Nazis’ attempts to strip the prisoners of their humanity, Rose makes close friendships with many of the women, often referring to them as “family.” The novel is structured as a series of notebook entries Rose writes. The entries in Part 1 of the novel are written before she is captured, while Parts 2 and 3 are written after she has escaped and is staying at the embassy in Paris. Through the course of the novel, Wein explores themes of hope, shame, humanity, friendship, and both the strength and fallibility of writing.