When Elli attends a final school function - the school having been closed due to the impending war - she encounters a classmate who notes the star on her coat. Forced to wear the bright yellow star on their clothing at all times, Elli simply refused at first to go out, though Bubi wears the star like a badge of honor. Elli and her family, Jews, are soon targeted. The river also serves as a place for watering herds of animals, such as sheep.Įlli lives with her parents at a time when Germans are threatening people of every ethnicity other than the Aryan race. Her friend Bonnie and she sometimes go to the Danube to swim, as do many others in the area. Elli spends her days in the typical pursuits of young girls of her age. The story begins the town of Somorja in the summer of 1943 when Elli, twelve, longs for the exciting life led by her older brother, Bubi.
