Perspective

The story is written in first person from a limited perspective. The reader knows only what is happening to Elli at any given point. This perspective is acceptable, considering that the story is a biographical account of Elli's life prior to, during and following her imprisonment as a Jewish girl during the Holocaust, but sometimes leaves questions unanswered. For example, Elli tells about the appearance of a group of civilians who are apparently questioned, beaten and executed. Their identities are not revealed though Elli refers to them as "heroes." In the next chapter, a larger group is brought to the prison camp and Elli talks of these as revolutionaries who were attempting to set the Jewish prisoners free. This limited information is tantalizing but some readers may still have questions after reading this section.

Tone

The story is set in German-occupied territory in the 1940s. The events and...