AT THE HEART OF THE WHITE ROSE: Letters and Diaries of Hans and Sophie Scholl

Hans and Sophie Scholl, brother and sister, were middle-class German youths executed by the Nazis in 1943 for subversive activities; members of a clandestine group, ""The White Rose,"" they were discovered distributing anti-Nazi handbills at Munich University. Here, ushered in by a warm introduction from noted critic Richard Gilman, is a collection of their letters and diary snippets, each batch of entries placed in biographical and historical context via a note by editor Jens. The Scholls' writings, glowing with all the idealism, naivetÉ, and self-importance of youth, hold no import in themselves; but in the context of their authors' martyrdom, they constitute a compelling, heart-wrenching testament to courage and goodness in the face of evil.