Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Book Preview: #1 I was born in 1939, in Bielitz, a town close to the Czechoslovakian border. When I saw people deserting my town, I realized how close we were to the Czechoslovakian frontier. #2 On September 1, the day the war began, I was in my parents' bedroom watching them. The red glow of the fires outside made Papa look strange and unfamiliar. He spoke to me, telling me to call the family and find out what they were doing. #3 The next morning, the sun was shining brightly in my room. The fall flowers in our garden were in full bloom. The trees were laden with fruit. Everything was as it had always been, and yet, the night before, I had seen something in my parents' faces that hadn't been there before. #4 The morning after the invasion, I saw my neighbors celebrating with German soldiers. I did not understand what was happening. I was 15 years old, and I had a strong feeling that our lives were no longer our own, but in the hands of a deadly enemy.