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Overview
In Copenhagen, Denmark in 1943, Annemarie and Ellen are ten years old. The girls live with their families during World War II. One day while walking home from school, they encounter two German soldiers who question them about why they were running. Fortunately, Kirsti defuses the situation by being rude to the soldiers. When Mama and Mrs. Rosen find out what happened, they warn Annemarie and Ellen not to talk to any of the Germans because it could be dangerous for everyone if they do so again.
Life has changed a lot for the Johansens since World War II started. German soldiers are everywhere, and there are food and electricity shortages. A few years ago, Annemarie’s older sister was killed in an accident just two weeks before her wedding. Her fiancé still visits the Johansens sometimes because he is involved with the Danish Resistance. Despite all that, most Danes remain loyal to King Christian X and refuse to embrace Nazi ideology.
A few weeks later, Kirsti’s jacket breaks. Mama sends Annemarie, Ellen and Kirsti to visit Mrs Hirsch (a Jewish woman who owns a button store), who has been forced to close her shop by the Germans because she is Jewish. The adults are worried about their friends’ future in Denmark.
A couple of weeks later, Annemarie and Ellen play with paper dolls. Kirsti throws a fit when her mother buys shoes made out of fish scales, but Ellen solves the problem by dying them black with ink. Ellen is looking forward to the Jewish New Year because she loves traditions. However, on the day of Rosh Hashanah (Jewish New Year), Mrs. Johansen tells everyone that Mr. Rosen and his family have had to leave Copenhagen due to Nazi Germany’s anti-semitism laws and will be staying in Sweden for a while until things settle down again in Denmark. To stay safe from being arrested or killed, Ellen will pretend to be Annemarie’s sister since they look so much alike.
Three Gestapo officers came to the Johansens’ apartment at night. They wanted to find the Rosens, but Mr. and Mrs. Johansen lied about knowing them. The officers searched the house anyway, even looking in Annemarie’s room while she pretended to be asleep (in bed). She ripped off Ellen’s Star of David necklace and hid it under her pillow so that they wouldn’t take it away from her family member when they found out she was Jewish (Ellen had dark hair like Lise did as a child).
The next day, the girls’ parents decide that they should skip school. Instead, Mama and Annemarie will visit Uncle Henrik in Gilleleje, which is just across the sea from Sweden. On their ride to Gilleleje on a train, two German soldiers try to trick them into saying that they are Jewish by asking if they’ll be celebrating New Year’s Eve. However, Mama doesn’t fall for it and Kirsti nearly exposes Ellen – but thankfully catches herself at the last moment.
The girls enjoy the beautiful countryside in Gilleleje. They even find a stray kitten to play with. Annemarie promises Ellen that she will hide her Star of David necklace somewhere safe, and she’ll give it back when it’s no longer dangerous for her to wear it. The next day, Uncle Henrik announces that his aunt has died. Annemarie is suspicious because she hasn’t heard of a Great-Aunt Birte before; however, Uncle Henrik explains that he made up the story about the death so they could leave without suspicion from the Nazis or their neighbors and friends who were collaborating with them. He tells Annemarie not to worry about why this happened; rather, he wants her to focus on being brave during this time since things are going to get harder for them as they move forward.
