Lilac Girls

Germany loses the war by April of 1945 and Herta steals away from the camp in secret. She does not think she can be blamed or found guilty as most of the Rabbits are dead. Herta believes she was only doing her duty. She walks back to Düsseldorf; she imagines how happy her mother will be to see her. Her mother’s new beau, Gunther, is at the apartment when Herta finally reaches home. Gunther hurries her into the home. Herta has been charged with crimes against humanity and there are already soldiers out looking for her. Herta believes her mother will let her hide at home. Gunther encourages Herta to take a bath; he says they will talk it all out later.

As Herta is bathing, a British soldier comes to the door to apprehend her. The soldier gives her a moment to dress, and she tries to kill herself by slicing a blade up her arm. The British carry her out on a stretcher and manage to get her to a hospital. Herta, almost unconscious, still manages to cling to her pride.

In the first chapter of Part 2, Caroline goes to Paris alone in April of 1945. She immediately goes to Paul. When she finally sees him, Caroline is shaken by how skinny he is. Paul’s doctor, Phillipe Bedreaux, worries for his patient; Paul has recovered from typhus but has caught pneumonia. Paul refuses to speak about Rena’s death. Caroline is warned against letting Paul partake in any strenuous activities. She does not leave his side most days until she retires to her mother’s apartment. Paul is finally allowed to go and they both return to the home Paul shared with Rena. Every night they talk a little more about the horrors he saw.

The war ends on May 8. Paul and Caroline walk around Paris in celebration. Caroline has been doing her best to nurse Paul back to health; their relationship slowly becomes less strained. Paul does not want Caroline to be Rena. Paul tells Caroline that he loves her; he asks her to stay in Paris with him. She agrees. Caroline goes to get her things from her mother’s apartment. She misses a phone call on the way out of the apartment and when she arrives back at Paul’s house, an ambulance is parked outside. A nurse hurries Caroline inside.

After two months in Sweden, the women finally make it to Poland by ferry. The Polish Workers’ Party has come to power and has tight control over the nation. Zuzanna and Kasia enter their house; their home is different, covered in paintings and tablecloths that Halina never chose. Felka, Nadia’s dog, is there. Papa hugs them both when he sees them and they all weep. Their secret letters to him have made it all the way to London, the horrors of what the Nazis had done broadcasted all over the BBC. Ade continues to post the lists of missing people every day. Marthe, the woman who figured out how to read Kasia’s secret letters, is now with Ade. Kasia hates her immediately. She carries her mother’s chair to her room and goes to sleep.

Caroline discovers that Rena is still alive and has returned home. Paul seems overjoyed and Caroline readies herself to leave for home, for Connecticut. Paul says they’ll talk about it tomorrow; he does not hold her and Caroline leaves. She does not answer the phone the next day and eventually takes it off the hook. People come to her door, but Caroline does not answer it. Caroline hides away until her mother arrives. Mother makes Caroline takes a bath and tells her that just because Paul has a wife, it doesn’t mean that she can’t be with him.

Rena arrives and tells Caroline about all the horrors she suffered. Rena tells her that she is unable to give Paul up after everything they both lived through. Rena asks Caroline for help; she gave birth to Paul and her child the day before the Gestapo came for them. The baby was taken to a convent. Caroline resolves not to help them find their daughter.

Caroline refuses visits and calls from Paul. Her mother tells her the right thing to do is to help Paul and Rena find their child. It takes Caroline some time, but she eventually realizes the same. Caroline goes to the orphanage that she used to send comfort boxes to and meets Madame Bertillon. The children are assigned numbers at birth as many of them are never given names. Madame eventually gives in and agrees to check the list of children who arrived on April 1, 1941. After looking at the group of children Madame collects to show her, Caroline believes none of them to be Paul and Rena’s. As Caroline helps collect the empty bowls from the children, she recognizes one of the children and believes her to be Paul and Rena’s child. Although the child has no drop off date, her name is Pascaline, which means “born on Easter” (297).