Zofia’s story would have unfolded very differently if she had recalled that her entire family was dead when she was liberated at the conclusion of the war. How can Zofia’s inability to recall Abek’s death be considered an act of self-compassion that motivated her survival and exploration?

In light of Lukasz’s trauma, can you condemn his dishonest decision to masquerade as Abek? Justify your answer using textual evidence.

How does Monica Hesse use landscapes, including the landscapes of characters’ bodies and the landscapes of Poland and Germany, as symbols that establish trauma and pain as ongoing, even after the conclusion of the war in 1945?