Chapters 3 and 4 Summary and Analysis

3: Trains between Beregszasz and Komjaty had stopped traveling, and Piri was essentially cut off from her mother, father, and the rest of her family. One day, a messenger came with a letter from mother. Father, an officer in the army, had been demoted due to German policy, and Piri's brother-in-law Lajos had been drafted into the army. So, the Germans had already made their presence clear in Beregszasz.

Babi wanted to get a letter back across the border, so she asked Rozsi to ask the Hungarian policeman Ferenc to act as a messenger. Rozsi was nervous about asking, but since Ferenc was attracted to her, he eagerly agreed to ferry the message.

Babi prepared for a Rosh Hashanah feast as always, despite the impossibility of any other family members coming to her home. Babi did a lot of praying...