Long Live Freedom!

Publisher: Cuidono Press

The world had been at war for three years in 1942 when a group of students in Munich began to distribute leaflets challenging the German people to resist the Nazis. Himmler personally ordered the arrest and execution of those responsible. Traute Lafrenz was part of that circle, which came to be known as the White Rose. She was arrested but, unlike her friends Hans and Sophie Scholl, escaped execution. Decades later, in conversation with Peter Normann Waage, she recounts the story as she experienced it, from education to friendships to activism. Blending memoir, group biography, and philosophical insight, Waage introduces the key players in the order Lafrenz met them, building and circling to capture the atmosphere, the influences, the intellectual and spiritual seeking, and the friendships that inspired this group's message of resistance and hope. Most of all, Lafrenz and Waage explore how these young people developed the intellectual strength and moral courage to respond to the terror that was the Nazi regime. Previously published in Norway and Germany, this book is a unique addition to the White Rose story, offering a new voice and a deeper understanding of how a few people could have such an impact during very dark times. 

After completing undergraduate studies in history, Russian, and Norwegian languages and literature, DiMari Bailey moved to Norway and lived there for many years. She worked mainly in the book business in Oslo but also taught Norwegian as a second language to immigrant children, working closely with children and parents from Vietnam, Chile, and Turkey. When she moved back to the United States, she earned an advanced degree in Education and worked as a project manager for various educational assessment and professional development programs. She now devotes her time to writing and to translating Norwegian texts.

Peter Normann Waage is a Norwegian author and journalist who has played a major role on the Norwegian cultural stage for many years. A committed philosopher and anthroposophist, he has published numerous books and essays on Islam, on Russia and Russian literature, and on Rudolf Steiner. Waage studied the history of philosophy and Russian, art history, and literature at the University of Oslo. He is the recipient of numerous grants and awards, including the Petropol Prize in St. Petersburg for his book on Dostoevsky.