An incredible work of historical precision in which the author compares various testimonies from the time to reconstruct the exceptional story of Virtudes Cuevas, nicknamed Madame Carmen, an anti-Nazi activist and heroine of the resistance. The story also focuses on the friendship with two other: Geneviève de Gaulle, niece of General Charles de Gaulle, and Neus Catalá. Their bond as “sisters in captivity” lasted their entire lives.
Virtudes Cuevas was born in Sueca, a small village in Valencia known for its rice and orange cultivation. Despite their humble origins and working in the fields, her family made great efforts to ensure that their daughter received the best education. She studied in a secular school, where she stood out for her intelligence, and inspired by her teachers, she continued her education until she became a teacher during the Spanish Republic.
At the onset of the Spanish Civil War, Virtudes moved to Madrid, where she joined the Fifth Regiment of militias. Her activism was well known, so when the war was lost, she had no choice but to flee to France.
After enduring the poverty of refugee camps and the devastating loss of her father, Virtudes did not abandon her cause. At the start of World War II, she joined the French Resistance. Her pseudonym, “Madame Carmen,” became known for her bravery and determination in the fight against the Nazis.
However, fate led to her arrest and deportation to Ravensbrück, the only concentration camp designed for women and one of the most dangerous. There, she met Geneviève de Gaulle, the niece of General Charles de Gaulle, with whom she formed a close friendship. She also encountered Neus Català, another Spaniard.
These three “sisters in captivity” survived and were eventually liberated. Yet, like many other survivors, Virtudes was condemned to exile by Franco’s dictatorship and lived in France until her death at 97 years old. Only then was she able to return to her native Valencia to be buried.
Like Virtudes, many of the Spanish women who fought in the Resistance and ended up in Ravensbrück and other concentration camps used false names to protect their identities. Through her story, this book gives voice to all these “nameless women,” with the aim of restoring their rightful place in collective memory.
RELEVANT INFORMATION:
Spanish Women in the Nazi Camps, based on the doctoral thesis of author Amalia Rosado, combines the testimonies of various women with exhaustive research, consulting archives in over 14 countries. The book expands on the extraordinary biography of Virtudes Cuevas, previously presented in the author’s first novel titled Virtudes Cuevas: A Survivor of the German Concentration Camp Ravensbrück.
AUDIOVISUAL POTENTIAL: TV Series, Miniseries, Film, TV Film, Docuseries, Documentary.
AVAILABLE LANGUAGES: Spanish.
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