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, concentration camps or were killed on site.

Yanek's Figurative Journey

With the stress of no food, and constant hiding, Yanekis 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 his friends, and went to the synagogue with his family. He loves his mom and dad and look 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 the fresh bread made me forget all my troubles. For a little while at least." (pg. 25) Doubting your parents for the first time is a struggle for Yanek especially in war-torn Poland.Yanek's Figurative Journey

Yanek tried telling himself he'd be ready when the Nazis took away his family, but he wasn't at all. He panicked for what seemed like forever, trying to find a way out of the camp. The Nazis didn't even have to point their machine guns at Yanek, he knew to immediately listen and that the message would be clear to him.

All the prisoners had went out for roll call. Yanek, and many other prisoners had been loaded onto a truck. The Nazis hadn't told them where they were heading to. The truck pulled up outside a building, one with a tall spire like a bell tower.

When Yanek and the other prisoners entered the salt mine, they went up steps which seemed like forever. They came to another chamber, this one was lit with electric lights, similar to previous rooms.

Yanek was insanely furious when the guards treated him and the other prisoners like a game. Making them carry rocks from one place to another, the back again on repeat. He was sick of this game the guards were playing. He felt that him and the other Jews needed to stand up to the Nazis and fight back. But to Yanek's surprise, one Jew was killed when he fought back. The guard killed the Jew who was hitting him with a club. This drained all the fury from Yanek, then refilling him with fear. All the prisoners were like sheep to slaughter.

Yanek soon accepted that this was how it would be. Either fight back and die while risking a dozen other men's lives, or just accept life how it is and live the rest of your days working for the Nazis. Yanek didn't want to accept this, but he had no choice but to.

Yanek and the other prisoners spent days in the cattle car. It was packed so tight you couldn't even raise your arms. Yanek felt trapped, and it was hard for him to breathe. All he could see through the grate of the car, was pure snow, taunting children and adults, and people who got to be free unlike him. The man next to Yanek soon died, resting on his shoulder. Yanek was unable to move away from the deceased body on top of him. He'd have to suffer likes this tell they were let out.

Yanek's figurative journey

Yanek was at his lowest point in his life, he was finally ready to give up and surrender. But, when the shower turned on and water came out instead of the gas, Yanek was relieved. He finally told himself that he was given a second chance at life

Three days after Yanek arrived at Sachsenhausen, he finally gathered the strength to stagger through the gates of Sachsenhausen. He had no idea where he even was, or who he was. All he had remembered for the last three days was the enormous radio tower getting louder and louder by the second. He was weak, tired, and hungry that he no longer cared about living or dying. When Yanek was given the soup and loaf of bread, he held onto the bread like it was a jewel, hoarding it like a dragon. Before roll call, Yanek and the other prisoners washed themselves with the freezing cold water the Nazis offered. Yanek broke more and more rocks, pounding it until it was small enough to be gravel. Yanek never understood why the Nazis needed so much gravel.

They took the prisoners by train, packing them in so tight there was barely room to breathe. People died all around Yanek, and he couldn't even move away from the deceased.

When Yanek had arrived to Gross-Rosen he was given his barrack assignment then put right to bed, along with the other prisoners.