Summary

In Chapter 23, Gita comforts Lale after the loss of his “other family,” insisting he honor them by surviving and telling their story (201). Rumors of an uprising circulate, and news of the advancing Russian army give the prisoners hope. In Chapter 24, in 1945, the SS officers hurry to destroy their records and empty the camp in anticipation of the Russians. Thousands of female prisoners are pushed out and just before the gates of Birkenau are shut, Gita shouts that her full name is Gita Furman. The next day Lale stumbles onto a train with other prisoners. In Chapter 25, Gita escapes from the guards with four polish girls and they find refuge in a nearby village. She makes her way to Bratislava and joins other camp survivors in shared apartments, finding her brothers Doddo and Latslo.

Chapter 26 follows Lale’s route. He travels with the...