Yanek and his family live in Krakow. Poland. But in just a blink of an eye, their city was invaded by the Germans beginning WWII. For now, Yanek and his family remain in Krakow. For a little while they stay in their flat with several other families. Anti-Semitic rules have been put in place that persecute Jewish people, taking away any rights they had. Over time, walls are built up around the ghetto to contain the remaining Jews who have not been taken for resettlement or deportation yet. One by one many Jews were relocated to other Jewish ghettos, work camps, and concentration camps or were killed on site.

Yanek's Figurative journey

With the stress of no food and constant hiding, Yanek is living in fear of being caught by the Nazis. His emotional state is one of constant terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn. The unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled. Yanek's early life as a 10-year-old boy before the war was very normal. He attended school, played with friends, and went to the synagogue with his family. He loves his Mom and Dad and looks up to them but as the war continues Yanek begins to doubt his father's constant hopefulness and positivity and wonders who is really right - his father or Uncle Moshe. "I still worried he was wrong, but fresh bread made me forget all my trouble. For a little while, at least."(pg25) Doubting your parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek especially in war-torn Poland.

While Yanek family has survived the resettlement, they did not survive the war. They were taken to concentration camps where you're most likely to die. Yanek saw the only survivor in his family Uncle Moshe. Which Uncle Moshe gave Yanek some really good advice to survive. The advice that Uncle Moshe gave him was " Remember you are no one. You have no name. You do not speak.(pg 69)

When Yanek was transported to Wieliczka, Poland, he had to work thousands of feet underground and pretty much died while he was there. While he was there, he saw statues and this pretty chandelier of the previous people who had worked in the salt mines.

When Yanek first got to Trzebinia he had to move a big pile of rocks. If they were doing it slow the Nazis would beat them. Yanek did not like Trzebinia at all because the nazis would play games with the Jews. Then after doing all of that, this one guy got sick of being tortured and done working for the Jews. So he tried to fight one of the guards and then got shot.

After Yanek was in Trzebinia he was on his way to Birkenau Germany. He had to stand the whole time while on the train. He saw people die right next to him from starvation and exhaustion. They were on the train for days." I can't breathe I can't breathe a man at the other end of the car started to scream giving voice to my panic."(pg115) Yanek was lucky cause he was the only person breathing fresh air.

Yanek's figurative journey

Yanek was taken to Birkenau when there were rumors that you were put in gas chambers and you would die. Everyone on the train including Yanek was scared because they did not want to die. When Yanek got put in it it was water and not gas. Then he started going crazy."Maybe I was. The Nazis had finally broken me. It was all a big joke."(pg128)

When Yanek got to Auschwitz there was a sign that said Arbeit Macht Frei, which means work makes you free. Against Uncel Moshe's advice, Yanek makes good friends with Fred. This is good and bad because now Fred knows his name. Also, Yanek cared for him, meaning she could get killed trying to save him. Fred was going to die and then Yanek saw Fred getting beat and hanged. Yanek wanted to do something but he would've got killed. "The kapo hit Fred again and again. Fred I yelled Get to roll call or you'll get a beating".(pg161)

Yanek was leaving Auschwitz and heading to Sachsenhausen. They had to walk for 13 days without shoes and barely any food in the snow. The only food they got was a loaf of bread. There were a lot of people who died while making their way to Sachsenhausen. Yanek helped this person walk because they were about to die but this was a bad decision. This was a bad decision because while assisting the person he lost his bread. "Before I could sleep, I had to eat. I reached for what was left of my half loaf of bread tucked into my pants but it wasn't there."(pg180)

When Yanek got to Bergen Belsen, they went to sleep because they had walked for a long time. The next day they to warm soup and fresh bread. You might think that is good but in reality, it's bad because they haven't had this type of meal in a while. Therefore, Yanek's stomach hurt since he hadn't eaten well in a long time. "Every one of us woke with the most terrible stomach cramps we'd ever had."(pg198)

When Yanek was in Buchenwald they had to pull carts. If they drop it they are killed. In Buchenwald, there was a whole zoo where the Jews got put in and the animals got fed daily. Commanders Kalr and Koch if Jews had gold teeth they would take their gold teeth out. While Yanek was in the zoo Yanek saw a deer all tied up. "At roll call that night, the two SS officers who had tied up the deer were pulled off duty by the commandant."(pg209)

When Yanek got off the train so many people died. Yanek was hoping that the Allies were going to come and save them. Since Yanek lost the button he got 20 lashes he had to count to 20 in German. If he messed up he had to restart. That night Yanek had a dream about how it was a sunny day and he was laying in the grass enjoying life. Then, a dark cloud came along lighting flashing, thunder rolled over the hill. Next, the thunder knocked him down The whole earth shook beneath him. The ground cracked and opened. He felt through the hole but then climbed until he heard a big boom. It was the Allies.

When Yanek was in Dachau, they were sick but the Nazis didn't do anything about it. Once they woke up, they didn't hear anything. So, they walked out of their barracks and realized that the SS officers weren't there. But then they saw the allies the allies were the Americans. "It's the Americans!"(pg244)

It was the first day Yanek didn't have to wear the Star of David. When Yanek got to Munich, they got pillows and blankets to sleep in. The Jews were so happy because they hadn't slept with pillows and blankets in years. The next morning, they got food, and the Jews were crying since they hadn't had such a good meal in a long time. "The man across from me started to cry, and the American soldiers didn't know what to do."(pg250)