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 family's. 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 too resettlement or deportation yet. One-By-One many Jews were relocated to other Jewish ghettos, work camps, concentration camps or were killed on site.

Yaneks 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 the constant terror and panic at what awaits him at every turn. the unknown aspects of the war leave a feeling of being unsettled. Yaneks 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 them but as the war continues Yanek begins to doubt his fathers constant hopefulness and positively 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 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 was coming home from school and went to his friends house. when he was on the way to the coop after his friends house. He then found out that all of his family were taken to concentration camps or killed by the Nazis. Only to realize his one cousin was left. He was then later deported to a concentration camp after being taken from his work. He was deported to a concentration camp in Plaszow, Poland to work there. he then sees his uncle Moshe and almost got killed running up to him and screaming his name. His uncle gave him tips on how to less his risk of dying from the Nazis, by, not standing out, and working outside of the camp. this all helps Yanek build back up to want to stay alive for his family who died from the Nazis.

While Yanek is struggling to stay alive, he meets Fred at a concentration camp in Auschwitz. They were both around the same age and quickly bonded. This friendship quickly gave Yanek motivation to keep trying to survive. They got so close they were exchanging names and their past. They also found out they both lived in Krakow. Some time went by and Fred was getting weak. He woke up so weak one morning that he could not move to get out of bed. The Nazis then found him unable to get out of bed and was beating Fred. When Yanek tried to step in, he also got hit to the ground and the others dragged him out to roll call. The Nazis then took Fred and tied him with a noose killing him. This affected Yanek a lot because it was the only friend and person he'd got close to.

Entering in the gates of Sachsenhausen, after the death march that had lasted several days. With many people dying from having no food, no energy, no strength, dying from the cold temperature, and having to live off of eating snow. Yanek lost most of his energy when he helped the boy not get shot from falling behind, but became easier when the man helped Yanek. Yanek soon after realized he had dropped his bread that he'd been saving after helping the boy. He was then really weak with nothing to eat and no energy. He claims if he was put straight to work he would have died. But they were lucky to get a week off to gain strength and that gave Yanek motivation once again that he could survive,

In the cattle cars being shipped once again. From Sachsenhausen to Bergen-Belsen they were again being shipped by the crowded and smelly cattle cars with everyone starving and being suffocated, with some people falling to the floor dying. While more people fell dying the more there was room to breathe. But this was also bad because the Nazis were running out of Jews to work, so the more Jews that died the more they needed to ship them to other concentration camps to have enough workers.

Yanek had a dream, he dreamed that he was in a nice field with flowers, and then started falling down a deep deep hole hitting roots on the way. He then woke up from the sounds of bombs and the rain. and was thinking that the war would be over soon when the allies came. And would live a nice life again and eating the 3 meals everyday instead of sometimes not eating and if he did it would only be watery soup and bread.

When they had arrived at Dachau things were different. Some days they didn't have roll call. There were planes flying, and bombs dropping everywhere. There was no place to hide nor no where to go. By this time they were already used to the sounds so they rolled over and tried to go back to sleep. When all the prisoners woke up they then realized they were alone and the Nazis were gone and thought the Nazis were tricking the prisoners until they saw the American soldiers rolling in to tell them that the war was over and they were free.

In the morning after roll call they were being taken away to a different place. Some thought they were taking them somewhere to kill them, while Yanek thought they were going to do more work somewhere else. And he was right. After they had got out of the truck, Yanek noticed someone very familiar and had asked him if he was from Krakow but he denied and claimed he was a no one. Once night came and they were in their barracks the other two men had cornered the familiar looking man and was confronting him about being a Judenrat's policeman, but he was still denying, then a kapo shouted and the two men didn't say anything else.

When Yanek arrived at Buchenwald he realized there were families, and even a zoo. but he also realized the animals were getting treated better than the prisoners. they were getting better/more food. This made Yanek furious because all they were getting was soup and bread. While the animals were getting fed steak. But that's not the worst part to Yanek, when Yanek had saw the Nazi tie up the dear it made him furious. And when they were working they couldn't carry small rocks nor could they carry big rocks or they would get killed.

The prisoners were forced to move big piles of rocks back and forth. They were given no tools like gloves, or wheel barrows and the rocks where scraping his skin, and his legs were wobbling trying to stay up. the kapo's and SS guards were just playing games with them at this point for entertainment. This was one of the hardest concentration camps Yanek was at. And was thinking that if all the prisoners ganged up to the Nazis they could end this war and be free. Until one of the prisoners tried to fight back and the Nazis killed him, but Yanek still had hope.

The prisoners had been in the train for many hours after arriving seeing flames and smoke coming from the camp and the bad smell of flesh burning. When the prisoners finally got out of the train they did roll call and was marched to a big chimney. Yanek then thought this was the time he was not going to survive and he was gonna die in the chimney. Many prisoners were crying and the Nazis were whipping them and hitting them with their clubs.