Juliette Goglia embraces the enthusiastic viewpoint of Gerda Pohorylle, a German Jewish teenager who is thrilled to be studying in Switzerland, falling in love, and taking pictures with her uncle’s portable camera between the wars. Gerda's passion takes a more adult turn when she is taken in for questioning by the Gestapo and flees to Paris for safety. There she meets photographer André Friedmann, and the pair adopt the professional names of Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. The narration deepens with intensity when the Spanish Civil War enters the story. Goglia captures Gerda’s compassion for the people of Spain and her dedication to depicting the effects of fascism there. Throughout, Goglia’s pauses honor the verse form in which the story is written. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
One Last Shot: Based on a True Story of Wartime Heroism: The Story of Wartime Photographer Gerda Taro
Narrated by Juliette Goglia
Kip WilsonUnabridged — 4 hours, 4 minutes
One Last Shot: Based on a True Story of Wartime Heroism: The Story of Wartime Photographer Gerda Taro
Narrated by Juliette Goglia
Kip WilsonUnabridged — 4 hours, 4 minutes
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Overview
""This is not just a story of the violence of fascism, but of the burning joy of freedom, and the exhilaration of shaping, with sweat and blood, a better world.""**
From critically acclaimed author Kip Wilson comes this gripping coming of age historical fiction novel in verse about Gerda Taro, a vibrant, headstrong photojournalist with a passion for capturing the truth amid political turmoil and the first woman photojournalist killed in combat.
The daughter of Polish Jewish immigrants, Gerta Pohorylle doesn't quite fit in. While she's away at boarding school, however, she becomes a master at reinventing herself. When she returns from school, she gets more involved with left-wing groups as Germany splits into political extremes and after she's arrested for distributing anti-Nazi propaganda, Gerta and her family decide she must leave Germany.
In Paris, Gerda meets André Friedman, a Hungarian photographer eager for fame and fortune, who fosters Gerda's interest in photography and how it can be as much of a tool for broadcasting her beliefs as protesting and demonstrations. Together the pair invents Robert Capa, a rich American photographer, and soon they're selling ""Capa's"" work for high prices and to great acclaim. Soon after, Gerda begins selling her own work under the last name Taro and the pair take on more assignments, jetting off to Spain to cover the growing conflict that quickly becomes the Spanish Civil War.
As Gerda pushes closer and closer to the front line, eager to capture the lives and vibrant hopes of those fighting against fascism, she begins to lose track of, and regard for, her own safety.
** Kirkus starred review
Supplemental enhancement PDF accompanies the audiobook.
Editorial Reviews
11/07/2022
In this well-researched historical volume told via diary-like free verse, Wilson (The Most Dazzling Girl in Berlin) recounts the inspiring journey of steadfast Gerda Taro (1910–1937) toward becoming a renowned wartime photojournalist. The narrative begins in 1917 Stuttgart, where seven-year-old Gerda Pohorylle comes to terms with the fact that her Jewish parents gave their children “good German names” to keep them from standing out. Despite this, Gerda still frequently experiences a feeling of Anderssein, or “being other.” She’s inspired to pursue photography after a friend’s uncle purchases a portable camera, and uses her newfound love of the medium to document political activism in Leipzig. When she meets photographer André Friedmann, the two develop an intense romantic and professional connection, eventually choosing new names for themselves: Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. Together, the pair photograph the anti-fascist movement and the Spanish Civil War, netting them critical acclaim. Wilson’s imagined Taro is fiercely independent and endlessly passionate about her vocation and its importance in preserving pivotal moments in history. This perceptive volume utilizes fluid, first-person present narration told with a joyful tone amid violent fascism to deliver a snapshot into an intriguing life. Ages 13–up. Agent: Roseanne Wells, Lucinda Literary. (Jan.)
"Taro lived her convictions, spending her final days in the chaos and carnage of the Spanish Civil War, determined to get the best shot, the one that would make a difference. . . . Wilson’s poems read so smoothly, and her subject is so compelling, that readers may be tempted to race through, but slowing down or reading aloud illuminates the full depth and poignancy that's on display." — Booklist (starred review)
"Wilson shares Pohorylle’s story with stunning efficiency through an economy of language that wrings sweetness from every word. The free-form verse is written in the present tense, each moment of the story its own indelible snapshot. The book captures the subject’s life and the times she lived through with complexity and depth: This is not just a story of the violence of fascism but of the burning joy of freedom and the exhilaration of shaping, with sweat and blood, a better world. It’s a struggle that continues today, and Wilson skillfully draws connections between past and present." — Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
“Expertly researched and told in verse sharp and shining as a camera flash, Kip Wilson captures the life of Gerda Taro in thrilling, heartbreaking snapshots to tell the fascinating story of a talented and passionate young woman who sought to bear witness to and expose the dark truths of war and fascism at any cost.” — R. M. Romero, author of The Ghosts of Rose Hill, A Warning About Swans, and The Dollmaker of Kraków
[M]oving and inspiring….this is a model of well-researched and riveting historical fiction.”
"White Rose is a deftly plotted, absorbing read. A bold tribute to a brave hero of the German resistance during World War II. Wilson’s debut is a triumph!"
White Rose is a resonant testament to courage. In a time of horrific brutality, young people found a nonviolent way to resist. Told in the form of poetry, the story of their hopes is honored and brought back to life, still relevant today, when regimes that spread hatred are once again thriving, and words are our most powerful defensive weapon.”
02/01/2023
Gr 9 Up—This novel explores the short life of German photojournalist, Gerda Taro, in a format that blends biography, narrative nonfiction, and verse novel, relating events from Taro's perspective in accessible first-person poetry. Chronologically, the story begins in Stuttgart in 1917, with Taro, as the only Jewish girl in her class, attempting to reconcile her religion and home life with the vivacious, confident persona she adopts publicly. As Taro gets older and Germany becomes increasingly anti-Semitic, she isdrawn into the anti-fascist movement. This activism becomes the main thread in Taro's life, causing her to eventually leave Germany for the more liberal city of Paris. Taro's activism is inextricably intertwined with her relationship with photographer André Friedmann (later known as Robert Capa), and her career as a press photographer, which culminates tragically during the Spanish Civil War. Taro is a laudable protagonist: determined, independent, resourceful, and courageous. Wilson intends her as a model for young people today, explicitly aligning the historical setting with contemporary anti-democratic movements. Wilson displays impressive attention to detail throughout and includes extensive end notes on context. However, on a narrative level, the story lacks a stronger central dramatic question and focus on internal and interpersonal conflict alongside societal conflict. VERDICT This well-researched narrative account will be most appreciated for its historical insights. Recommended particularly for classroom study of the Spanish Civil War, and for readers with an interest in photography or political advocacy.—Leonie Jordan
Juliette Goglia embraces the enthusiastic viewpoint of Gerda Pohorylle, a German Jewish teenager who is thrilled to be studying in Switzerland, falling in love, and taking pictures with her uncle’s portable camera between the wars. Gerda's passion takes a more adult turn when she is taken in for questioning by the Gestapo and flees to Paris for safety. There she meets photographer André Friedmann, and the pair adopt the professional names of Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. The narration deepens with intensity when the Spanish Civil War enters the story. Goglia captures Gerda’s compassion for the people of Spain and her dedication to depicting the effects of fascism there. Throughout, Goglia’s pauses honor the verse form in which the story is written. S.W. © AudioFile 2023, Portland, Maine
★ 2022-10-11
A Jewish photojournalist fights fascism in Europe in the 1930s.
Gerda Pohorylle came of age as the Nazi Party rose to power. As a teenager, she became involved with the leftist political movement in Germany, battling the nascent fascism of her country and campaigning for workers’ rights. After a run-in with the Gestapo, she fled to Paris in 1933. There, she found a new community of organizers and radicals and learned the importance of a united movement. Enamored with photography from a young age and finally in possession of the tools to pursue it, she worked with her lover, André Friedmann, to document the anti-fascist movement. The pair chose new professional names: Robert Capa and Gerda Taro. Their coverage of the Spanish Civil War brought renown and a new home among like-minded artists, writers, and activists. Wilson shares Pohorylle’s story with stunning efficiency through an economy of language that wrings sweetness from every word. The free-form verse is written in the present tense, each moment of the story its own indelible snapshot. The book captures the subject’s life and the times she lived through with complexity and depth: This is not just a story of the violence of fascism, but of the burning joy of freedom and the exhilaration of shaping, with sweat and blood, a better world. It’s a struggle that continues today, and Wilson skillfully draws connections between past and present.
Fresh, insightful, and rich with history. (dramatis personae, author’s note, selected sources, glossary) (Verse historical fiction. 13-18)
Product Details
| BN ID: | 2940175401852 |
|---|---|
| Publisher: | HarperCollins |
| Publication date: | 01/17/2023 |
| Edition description: | Unabridged |
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