There are several examples in the book of strangers who put their lives at risk to help the Kurcs, such as the Górskis, who take Sol and Nechuma into hiding the Mother Superior, who allows Felicia into her convent and Herr Den, who vouches for Halina’s Aryan identity. What are some messages in the book that you feel would be valuable to pass along to future generations?ġ0. What similarities, if any, did you notice?ĩ. Although the author does not deliberately draw parallels to other major events in history or to today’s current events, some readers have commented on what they see as shared circumstances. Why do you think Genek felt so strongly about holding onto the nationality of his home country, despite the fact that, technically, it no longer existed? Would you have done the same? What does your national identity mean to you?Ĩ. Genek, who finds himself on the eastern side, refuses to accept Soviet citizenship, thereby labeling himself a resistor. When Poland falls in September 1939, Germany takes over the west and Russia the east. In what ways do you think Halina’s personality affects the family’s fate throughout the war?ħ. Halina is the most rebellious of the five Kurc siblings and follows only one set of rules-her own. Have you ever had a relationship with a friend or partner that was either damaged or strengthened by sharing a tough experience?Ħ. In the end, though, Bella turns the corner and is able to let Jakob back into her life, and being with him helps her to heal. Jakob has been the love of Bella’s life since she was a teenager, and yet not even he can comfort her when Bella learns of her sister and parents’ deaths. Did you find it strange that he would fall in love despite the circumstances? In what ways do you think Eliska and Addy’s feelings for one another would have been similar or different had they met under more normal circumstances?ĥ. Which scene did you find most harrowing? Most comforting?Ĥ. Who was your favorite character, and why?ģ.

What are some examples of that assimilation, and how do you think that helped or hindered the family’s chances of survival?Ģ. The Kurc family was assimilated into Polish life before the war.

We were the lucky