The Story Is Now Only Told from Julia S Point of View

Pages 147-184

Summary

Sarah

Genevieve, Jules, and Sarah are at the train station at Orleans. Sarah doesn’t have an identity card, so she cannot board the train. She remembers the boy who escaped at the stadium, and runs onto the train as the soldiers are distracted by all the people. Once Genevieve, Jules, and Sarah are on the train, a soldier comes over to them and compliments Sarah on being an Aryan boy.

When they leave the train, another soldier wants to see their cards. Jules slips the soldier some money, so that he will let Sarah pass without one, and it works. Sarah arrives at her old apartment building. She runs up to her floor and bangs on the door of her home. A boy answers, and Sarah is confused as to why he is in her home. She breaks past him and runs to her room. The boy and his father run after her. She takes out her key and opens the cupboard. A retched stench fills the room, and she knows that it’s too late. She screams and cries at the top of her lungs.

Analysis

Sarah is very fortunate that the soldier took the bribe. She is also lucky that she looks like an Aryan boy with her hair cut off. With her blond hair and blue eyes, she doesn’t look Jewish. Her hair and eye color had saved her.

When Sarah reaches Paris, the cupboard and her little brother are the only things on her mind. Sarah never even thought that someone else would live in her home after her family was arrested. She allowed herself to hope and that hope has never been more powerful. When she finds her brother dead, she goes into shock. She screams and cries for her whole family and for what she has lost.

The story is now only told from Julia’s point of view.

Julia

Julia goes to visit Mamé at the nursing home. When she arrives, Edouard, Bertrand’s dad is there. He says that he knows that she has been researching about the apartment, and tells her again to stop. She accuses his family of having something to do with the girl who lived there, and he relents and decides to tell Julia the story. Edouard tells Julia the secret that he has lived with for sixty years, which only his father knows.

Edouard tells Julia how Sarah came to his house when he was only a boy, and pulled out her dead brother from the cupboard. His father made him swear to never tell anyone about what happened. He felt so guilty he would never talk about the event, not even with Edouard. Edouard still wonders what happened to Sarah, and he thinks that he will be able to find out by growing through his dad’s papers, felt to him when he died.

Edouard finds a dozen letters dated from 1942 to 1952. They are all from Jules, keeping Edouard’s father updated on Sarah’s life. He sent these letters because Edouard’s father has sent Sarah great amounts of money throughout her life, to compensate for what she went through and redeem himself of his own guilt.

Julia tries to get in contact with Jules, or one of his relatives. She finally reaches his granddaughter, who tells Julia that Jules has agreed to meet with her about Sarah.

Julia is at the hospital for her abortion. When she decided to have the procedure done, Bertrand was happier than ever. She waits for the doctor, but when the nurse tells her everything is ready, Julia cannot go through with the abortion. She is going to have her baby.

Analysis

Through Jules’ letters we learn that Edouard’s dad knew that Sarah blamed him and his family for the death of her brother. She thought that they invaded her house and let her brother die. Edouard’s father tries to make up for his guilt and her loss by sending her money.

Because the letters stop, we don’t know where Sarah ended up. Julia is determined to find out where she is, and make peace with her on behalf of Bertrand’s family. Julia knows that Bertrand’s family meant no harm, and she wants Sarah to know that too.

Julia’s operation is scheduled July 16, 2002, the day of the Vel d’hiv. This is one of the reasons Julia decides to keep her baby. She thinks of all the people arrested, and brought to camps, and to their deaths. Unlike during the roundup when no one was safe, her baby is safe within her, and she can’t give that up.