Summary

In Chapter 17, Alizée receives a letter from her brother Henri in October of 1939. Their uncle has been arrested for teaching the novels Call of the Wild and An American Tragedy, which the police deemed “communist propaganda” (111). Henri and Alizée’s aunt were informed at the police station that Oncle had been taken to “camp d’accueil” in Drancy, a village outside of Paris (111). They have heard of many incidences in which “people are arrested with no basis and are let free after a few days,” and hope this is the case for Oncle. Henri writes that the situation is becoming “more dire,” and for Alizée to obtain the visas as soon as possible (112).

Camp d’accueil means “reception camp,” which Alizée believes is “a euphemism for something much more grim” (112). Alizée feels as though nothing is real and...