Chapter 1 Summary

The morning that the Russian soldiers come for Esther, she has the day off from school and has planned to read a mystery novel in bed. Instead, her mother quickly tells her to hand a matchbox to her maternal grandmother. Although Esther questions her mother, she runs as fast as she can once she hears that her father has gone to his father's apartment in his pajamas and has not returned, as it was swarmed with Russian soldiers. This news terrifies Esther and she relays the information to her maternal grandmother before seeing that the matchbox contains all of her mother's jewelry. Her grandmother is scared, but Esther has to run back to her house before she can hear what she says.

Esther returns to the house through the side garden entrance and hears the front doorbell ringing. She sees her mother at...