Part 1: Chapters 11 and 12 Summary and Analysis

In the Jewish Ghetto, the Weissmanns wind up in a decrepit apartment that they share with another family. There is only a meager 250 Jewish families left in Bielitz. There are rumors and constant fear that they will soon be carted off to dreaded locations such as Auschwitz or other labor camps.

Gerda and her father have a breathtaking scare. A Gestapo officer bangs on the door. Julius hides in the closet. The officer presses a gun against Gerda's chest, demanding to see her father. He is threatening to shoot her when he hears the signal that the man he is searching for has been found. Julius is shaken and makes Gerda promise not to tell her mother of this experience.

On May 8th, Gerda is wakened by her parents who are wishing her a happy birthday. Her...