98 pages • 3 hours read
Georgia HunterA modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Before You Read Beta
Summary
Part 1, Chapters 1-3
Part 1, Chapters 4-8
Part 1, Chapters 9-11
Part 1, Chapters 12-14
Part 2, Chapters 15-17
Part 2, Chapters 18-21
Part 2, Chapters 22-25
Part 2, Chapters 26-30
Part 2, Chapters 31-34
Part 2, Chapters 35-38
Part 2, Chapters 39-43
Part 2, Chapters 44-47
Part 2, Chapters 48-49 and 51
Part 2, Chapters 50 and 52-53
Part 3, Chapters 54-57
Part 3, Chapters 58-60
Part 3, Chapter 61-Epilogue
Character Analysis
Themes
Symbols & Motifs
Important Quotes
Essay Topics
Bella says goodbye to Jakob: He, Selim, Genek, and Adam, along with the other men in Radom, are being sent to Lvov (where Bella’s sister Anna lives) to fight with the Polish Army. Bella cannot believe how much has happened since the Germans invaded Poland the past week. The Germans bombed Radom, so her family moved into the basement for safety. Bella sadly thinks of the plans she and Jakob had: to move to France when he finished law school, to marry, and to start a family.
Three weeks later, Bella is riding in the back of a wagon on her way to Lvov. The Germans now occupy Radom. Jews who venture out into public are harassed, beaten, and humiliated. Jakob wrote and asked her to come to Lvov. Bella’s parents wanted her to go to the relative safety of that city, but they had to ask the Kurcs for assistance since they did not have funds or connections. At first Sol refused, not wanting Bella to travel alone. Finally, Sol agreed to hire a wagon for her.
Due to heavy rain, the trip to Lvov goes slowly. The wagon driver, Tomek, thinks they should turn back at several points, but Bella insists that they continue.