Freedom

            Gerda was able to be freed from German hands before they were able to kill her. However, her family did not meet the same fate. They were murdered sometime throughout the war. She lost her best friends Ilse and Suse during the march, which took over two months. While being freed Liesel, her last remaining friend, dies. As Gerda looked at her, she said that, “A solitary tear ran down her cheek” (Klein 215). It was liberation day and she had made it. This was what she and her friends had dreamed of for years. Unfortunately, Gerdas’ happiness was shadowed by the fact that she was now alone. She had no family and friends.

            She did meet a soldier on V-E Day. His name was Kurt Klein. He was also a Jew, but had managed to escape before the war started. Gerda and Kurt fell in love and eventually got married. While she was still imprisoned she dreamed of having a baby. She had, “The thought of a baby, warm, new, clean as freedom itself” (Klein 155). This is something that kept her going. It kept her from giving up even when the work or journey seemed impossible. She managed to survive hunger, disease, physical beatings, and the pure hatred of the Nazis. I thought that this book was excellent. All Gerda longed for was to have a family, her family. In the end even though hers was killed she was able to start a new one with Kurt. This book far surpassed my expectations. It is filled with vivid details of her life during the many years she was imprisoned. I get a sense of determination from reading this book. Gerda persevered under daunting odds. This gives me inspiration to complete my dreams.