Number the Stars
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| File:NumbertheStarsBookCover.jpg Number the Stars book cover | |
| Author | Lois Lowry |
|---|---|
| Illustrator | Lois Lowry |
| Cover artist | Lois Lowry |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Genre | Children's novel |
| Publisher | Houghton Mifflin |
| Media type | Print (Hardback and paperback) |
| OCLC | 18947847 |
Number The Stars is a work of historical fiction about the Holocaust of the Second World War by award-winning author Lois Lowry. Ten-year-old Annemarie Johansen is the central character, who lived in Copenhagen, Denmark, in 1943 and was caught up in the events surrounding the rescue of the Danish Jews. She and her family risked their lives to help Annemarie's best friend, Ellen Rosen, by pretending that Ellen is Annemarie's older sister; the sister had died later in the war during her work for the Resistance group , in which the writer of the book relates that God has numbered all the stars in the universe. It is meant to tie into the Star of David, specifically to Ellen's necklace (Ellen is Jewish), which is symbolic to the story.
The novel was awarded the Newbery Medal in 1990[1] as the "most distinguished contribution to American literature for children".[2]
Plot summary
Soon after, Peter Nielsen, a young red-headed man working in the Danish Resistance who dated Annemarie's deceased older sister, Lise, visits Annemarie and her family and tells them that the Germans have started closing Jewish stores, such as Mrs. Hirsch's, as well as "relocating" Jews. The Nazis have been questioning rabbis in the local synagogue for the names of Jewish families, including the Rosens, and have begun to kill them. The next day, Peter takes Mr. and Mrs. Rosen with him into hiding and Ellen Rosen comes to live with the Johansens, disguised as Lise.
In the beginning of the night, Nazi soldiers arrive at the Johansens' apartment and demand that they reveal the whereabouts of the Rosen family. Ellen Rosen is almost killed when one of the Nazi soldiers recognizes that two of Mr. Johansen's daughters are blonde and have straight hair, while Ellen is dark-haired. Mr. Johansen retrieves baby photos of his three daughters, with their names listed, which clearly show that Lise had hair similar to Ellen's when she was a baby; the soldier tears the photo and leaves.
The next day, Mr. Johansen calls his brother-in-law, Henrik, and makes arrangements (in code) to bring Ellen to him. Way after, Annemarie, Ellen, Mrs. Johansen, and Kirsti leave by train for Uncle Henrik's home in Gilleleje. One peaceful day goes by at Henrik's until Mrs. Johansen tells the girls that Great-aunt Birte has died and they will be having a funeral. However, Annemarie knows that Great-aunt Birte doesn't exist, and confronts Uncle Henrik. He explains to her that it is easier to be brave when you don't know the full truth, and gives no further explanation.
Many strangers arrive at Uncle Henrik's house for the funeral, among them a rabbi and several Jewish families. Ellen's parents and Peter Nielsen arrive shortly after the Nazi soldiers. A soldier questions Annemarie about the funeral, and asks her mother to open the casket. She tells the soldier that Great-aunt Birte died of typhus but she will be only too happy to open the casket. The officer slaps her face and leaves, putting out the candles with a gloved hand. Peter reads the beginning of Psalm 147 to the group from the Bible, recounting the Lord God numbering the stars. Annemarie thinks that it is impossible to number the stars in the sky, and that the world is cold and very cruel.
Peter opens the casket and distributes warm clothing and blankets to the Jewish families who then depart, splitting up to be less conspicuous. Peter leads the first group, while Annemarie's mother leaves with the second. Annemarie says goodbye to Ellen and goes to sleep for the night. In the morning, she finds that her mother has not returned. Annemarie looks out the window to see her lying on the grass below. She frantically runs outside and finds, to her relief, that her mother has only broken her ankle. They realize that a package important to the Resistance was accidentally left behind by Mr. Rosen. Mrs. Johansen, knowing the importance of the package, gives Annemarie a basket filled with cheese, bread and an apple (presumably lunch for her uncle) and hides the package inside. Annemarie runs off, onto a wooded path towards her uncle's boat.
When she gets near the harbor, she is stopped by German soldiers on patrol. She lies and says she is merely delivering lunch to her uncle. The soldiers toss some of the food onto the ground and eventually reach the package, which they tear open, finding only a handkerchief. The German soldiers laugh, toss the cheese and handkerchief to the ground, and walk away. Annemarie continues onward to Uncle Henrik and gives him the package. He boards his fishing boat and leaves for Sweden.
Uncle Henrik returns to Denmark later that evening and while teaching Annemarie how to milk a cow, explains that the Rosens were hiding in his boat and the handkerchief contained rabbit's blood and cocaine, used to temporarily numb the German dogs' sense of smell.
Two years later, the war ends, all of Denmark celebrates, and several revelations are made: Peter was captured and executed by the Germans; Annemarie's sister, Lise, was not killed in a car accident, but had been deliberately run down by the Nazis, who knew she was part of the Resistance. The Jews who were forced to leave Denmark return, to find their friends and neighbors have kept up their apartments for them in anticipation of the return. Before the Rosens come back, Annemarie asks her father to mend Ellen's Star of David necklace (which had been broken off the night the Nazis broke into the apartment in order to conceal her identity), wanting to wear it herself in honor of her.
Characters in Number the Stars
1. Annemarie Johansen, a girl who lives in Denmark and is the main character in Number the Stars.Annemarie Johansen is a ten-year-old girl trying to understand the increasingly complex world around her. Her young life in Denmark had been filled with the normal preoccupations of peacetime until three years ago, when German soldiers arrived and her sister, Lise, was killed. There is much Annemarie is not told by her family at this time. She was seven when Lise was killed and is twelve before learning that Lise was killed at a meeting of the Danish Resistance, to which both Lise and her fiancy, Peter, belonged. As the book opens, Annemarie knows none of this, because her parents try to preserve the normalcy of her childhood during these troubled times.
2. Ellen Rosen, a Jew who also lives in Denmark and is Johansens' neighbor and Annemarie's best friend who is disguised as Lise.
3. Peter Neilsen, Lise's husband-to-be and is part of the rebellion. He was shot after leading the Rosens and the other Jewish people to Sweden to safety.
4. Lise, Annemarie's older sister who died in a car accident when Nazis hit her on purpose.
5. Uncle Henrik, uncle of Annemarie and is a fisherman; Mrs.Johansen's Brother.
6. King Christian X; King Of Denmark.
7. Kirsti, Annemarie and Lise's rambunctious, quick tempered and unserious younger sister.
8. Mr. and Mrs. Johansen, Annemarie's parents.
9. Mr. and Mrs. Rosen, Ellen's parents were very pretty.
10. Great Aunt Birte, Annemarie's supposed to be aunt. She is actually fake.
References
- ^ "Newbery Medal and Honor Books, 1922-Present". American Library Association. Retrieved 2008-11-22.
- ^ "The Newbery Medal". Powell's Books. Retrieved 2008-11-22.