One Last Shot by Kip Wilson

Gerda Pohorylle lives in Stuttgart, Germany with her parents, Heinrich and Gisela and her two younger brothers, Oskar and Karl, her Tante Terra and her husband, Onkel Moritz. Her father runs a delivery business.

At the age of eleven, in 1921, Gerda is aware that the Jews are being blamed for anything that goes wrong, including Germany losing the First World War. Her Tante Terra tells her to be her true self at home but to blend in outside the home in "German spaces". Gerda is the only Jewish girl in her class at the Konigin-Charlotte-Realschule. There she fits in fine during the weekdays but on Saturdays when attending school in the morning, her Shabbat duties mark her as different.

In 1925, Onkel Moritz hires Gerda's papa as a permanent employee in his delivery business. Gerda also becomes friends with Meta Schwarz, whose flat she visits everyday after school. In her teen years, Gerda begins to realize that she also wants to please herself and not just her parents.

In September of 1927, Gerda along with Meta, attends finishing school in Switzerland. Her tuition to the Villa Florrisant in Chamblandes-Pully is paid for by Tante Terra, where the two girls discover "the sanctuary of their dreams".  Gerda dreams of making a future for herself and sees the school as helping her to do that. She excels in languages, becoming fluent in French and English, while also learning a bit of Spanish.

After returning home to Stuttgart, Gerda is noticed by a tall, young man named Hans Bote, while playing tennis with Meta. Hans, who is called Pieter, is not Jewish and works as a salesman for an American company. Despite the fact that neither her parents nor Tante Terra like him, Gerda agrees to many Pieter. However, when her father moves the family to Leipzig to expand the family business, their relationship becomes a long-distance one.

In Leipzig in 1929, Gerda falls in with intellectuals and fellow Jews, becoming politically involved and learning about the dangers of nationalism and the Nazis. She becomes involved in Leipzig's left-wing youth movement where she meets one of it's leaders, Georg Kuritzkes. After visiting Stuttgart, Gerda breaks off her engagement to Pieter.

After the stock market collapse of 1929 and into 1930, Gerda finds herself attending political rallies for equality and workers' rights, to abolish Nazism, fascism and nationalism. But the results of the Reichstag elections of 1930 see a weakening center and the Nazis gaining strength. By 1933, Hitler is appointed Chancellor and Gerda and others now focus on resistance, posting anti-Nazi posters and distributing flyers. Gerda's brothers are soon involved.

In March 1933, the Gestapo come for Oskar but take Gerda in his place when he's not home. She is held for three weeks at Gestapo headquarters before being released at the intercession of a Polish diplomat. Gerda learns that the Nazis have ordered a one day boycott of Jewish businesses. Her papa begins liquidating his business so the Nazis can't take it away. Gerda's parents now want her to leave Germany. Karl and Oskar tell her that they will help their parents survive.

In September 1933, Gerda heads to Paris, France leaving behind her family and friends. She shares an apartment with her friend Ruth Cerf, finds a job as a secretary, and spends time meeting people at the Paris cafes.

 In August 1934, Hitler is now President of the Reich as well as Chancellor. In September, Ruth insists that Gerda accompany her to a small park in Montparnasse, where a photographer, Andre Friedmann wants to photographer her. Gerda and Andre experience an immediate attraction to one another and begin to develop a friendship. At this time, Gerda is involved somewhat with Willi Chardack, a friend from Leipzig, with Pieter who visits her in Paris, and with Georg whom she visits in Italy. However, their common Jewish ancestry, and their desire "to do something big in this world" leads them to fall in love and into a partnership. With Andre, Gerda becomes a photojournalist, determined to capture the reality of war and fascism, no matter the personal cost.

Discussion

Gerda Taro's story is told by Kip Wilson in free verse, in seven parts titled Beginnings, Growing Up, Change, Independence, Partners, Success, and Extremes. Wilson, an amateur black-and-white photographer knew of Robert Capa but had never heard of Gerda Taro (Gerta Pohorylle).

To pen One Last Shot, Will had to rely on Gerda's biographers, Irme Schaker and Jane Rogoyska who wrote about many of the events portrayed in this novel. As a result, One Last Shot is not a biography but more a fictionalized account of Gerda's life. Primary sources for the life of Gerda Taro were quite limited as none of her family survived the Holocaust, and she left no diaries or correspondence.

In One Last Shot, Wilson portrays Gerda as a free-spirited young woman, full of adventure and determination. Wilson's poetry captures Gerda's zest for life, shown by the many friends she had. What is surprising was her involvement with many men at a time when society was still very conservative regarding women. She loved the cultures of the countries she visited and hated what fascism was doing to the people of Europe. Because of this, Gerda was determined to fight fascism any way she could. This resistance began with protests and joining groups but eventually Gerda became aware of the power of the photograph to show the realities of fascism, nationalism and war. 

Wilson captures Gerda's increasing disregard for the dangers present on the battlefield - the one last shot always being her goal. Unfortunately, this disregard for her own safety would result in her horrific and untimely death. But Robert and Gerda's style of photo-journalism would soon become the norm during most of the conflicts in the 20th century. It would allow the world to witness the reality of war.

Besides Wilson's Authors Note which details the inspiration behind the novel, discusses fact vs. fiction in the novel and provides information on the Spanish Civil War and how Gerda's life came to light, there is also a listing of the major characters in the story in Dramatis Personae, a Selected Sources listing, and a Glossary of German, French and Spanish terms used.

One Last Shot is highly recommended for readers who are interested in learning about amazing women trailblazers in the last one hundred years.

Book Details:

One Last Shot by Kip Wilson
New York: Versify      2023

405 pp.