Yanek and his family live in Krakow Polan but just in the 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 the walls are built around the ghetto to contain the remaining Jews who have not been taken for resettlement or deportation.

Yanek's Figurative Journey

With the stress of no food, and constant hiding, Yanekis 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 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 synagogue with his family. He loves his mom and dad and looks up to them but as the war continues can begin to doubt his father's constant hopefulness and positivity and wonders who is right his father or Uncle Mochi "I still worried he was wrong, but fresh bread made me forget all my troubles. For a little while at least" (pg 25) doubting your parents for the first time as a struggle for Yanek especially during warn torn Poland.

After Yanek's mom and dad were taken time went a lot faster for him until one day when he was taken away, on one fateful day Yanek was told that the prison needed more sowers, I feel that if I were in his shoes I would have just ran but he didn't, instead he complied and went to the camp where he would find Uncle Moshe. I feel that this helped Yanek and supported him greatly in one of his worst time mentally because he thinks that his whole family is dead except his Uncle Moshe.