One Last Shot

by Kip Wilson

Genres: YA Historical Fiction

Synopsis

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.

  

 

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Release date: January 17, 2023

Publisher: Versify

Print pages: 416

Sample

BRUNETE, SPAIN

JULY 1937

THE SPANISH SUN

Searing heat bakes

the dusty earth

rusty vehicles

our thirsty bodies

as most soldiers seek

whatever shade

they can snatch

in these trenches

while others call out for me

¡Gerda! ¡Señorita!

trying to protect

la pequeña rubia

(the little blonde)

me

but in fact the cacophony

of battle energizes

me, galvanizes

me, pushes

me to

get every shot

I can.

NEW CAMERAS

I’m on this battlefield lugging around

a cumbersome camera and tripod

to film

motion pictures

along with the one he gave me

for photographs

the

Leica 

and it might seem

too much to carry two

but I need them both

to have any chance

of capturing moments

like this one.

CLOSE-UP

Bullets fly

artillery booms

officers yell

soldiers charge

and I

crouch

shoot

follow

the action

closer to the line

between

us

and

them

also known as the line

between

life

and

death.

STUTTGART, GERMANY

NOVEMBER 1917

NAMES

My parents have been

Heinrich

and

Gisela

my whole life

yet sometimes they still

slip up

calling the other

Hersch

or

Gittel

which is probably why

they made sure

to give us children

good German names

Gerda

Oskar

Karl

right from the start.

LIGHTING THE CANDLES

Friday nights

just before sundown

we light

candles, sing

the blessing, share

homemade challah

all seven of us:

me and my mama and papa

Mama’s sister, Tante Terra

her husband, Onkel Moritz

my brothers, Oskar

two years younger than me

and Karl 

two years younger than him

because family

is stronger

together.

FAMILY LIFE

Oskar and Karl tend to

clump

together

like dumplings just added

to broth

and though Oskar busies

himself being

the best big brother

he can

I can sense

the breath of relief

when he escapes

joining me

in my quiet corner

of the flat to read

by my side.

SNAPSHOT

Obvious signs

our country

is at war include

nighttime bombings

whistle, whistle,

boom, flash

growling bellies

rationed sugar

no milk.

Perhaps less obvious:

my teacher’s

black Trauerbinde

on her arm 

together with those

immense, empty eyes

indicating

she’s in mourning.

DISGUISE

Outside our home

appearances are

everything

something my parents

understand

all too well

tasking my wardrobe

to Tante Terra

who makes sure

I’m

impeccably

dressed

sacrificing themselves

to give me

every opportunity

they

never

had.

ASHAMED

The other girls are pleasant

enough to me in school

but the first time I

invite them over to

my family’s flat

their disdainful glances at

our simple furnishings

the boxes and papers piled up from

Papa’s delivery business

our candlesticks waiting

for Shabbat 

tell me there’s more

than I’ll ever understand

keeping me

outside

their inner circle

tell me that what I feel is

Anderssein

(being other).

The last thing I want

is to be different

so I decide

my home life should be

secret

going forward

decide never

to invite anyone

over

again.

 

STUTTGART, GERMANY

OCTOBER 1921

TEA WITH TANTE TERRA

Now that I’m eleven years old

Tante Terra has taken charge

of making sure I know

everything a young girl

should know about the world

including how

certain Germans point

fat fingers of blame

at us Jews anytime

anything goes wrong

for instance, as if Germany’s defeat

in the Great War were somehow

our fault

but

she assures me

it’s possible to both

remain our true selves

behind closed doors

and

assimilate in German spaces

outside the home

reminding me

what I already know

that I must always

try my best

to blend in.

UMZUG

Today’s the day

hundreds of young girls

from all around Stuttgart

including me

parade to the brand-new

Königin-Charlotte-Realschule

on Zellerstraße

construction

just completed

for our

first day

of school.

We’re dressed like young brides

in white dresses

flowers crowning our heads

ready to

begin

anew.

THE OUTSIDER

Sometimes I fit in fine

at the Königin-Charlotte-Realschule

as fine as the only Jewish girl in class can

like when I arrive each day

hair coiffed, smile bright

like when I solve equations

write exacting essays

translate poems into French

but on Saturdays

when I still must attend

school in the mornings

on Shabbat

I take care to avoid

forbidden tasks like

opening classroom doors

writing with my pencil

but I can’t avoid sticking out

when it’s time to pay

for lunch

because

touching money

is forbidden too

and instead I suffer strange looks

when I hand a classmate

my money purse

ask her to extract the right coins

wondering if there’s a way

to ever

truly fit in.

HOME AND AWAY

At home

I embrace

quiet moments

laughter

love

knowing

this is who I am

but at school

I

step

away

from that self

bit by bit

knowing

this is who I must be

if I’m ever to find

my own place

in

the

world.