Part 1, Paradise Summary and Analysis

Part One, Paradise, begins with the author standing on the upper deck of the Batory as the family prepares to depart from Gdynia. There is a great deal of excitement, yet 13-year-old Eva declares that there is a feeling of finality so deep that it could easily be the end of the world. Alinka, Eva's nine-year-old sister, barely knows what is happening; particularly as their parents are subjected to a body search as part of the typical Jewish harassment. The family is forbidden to take much of anything from Poland. However, the officials are not suspicious enough to search the children's clothing in which is hidden the family's silverware.

The only thing Eva can think about is leaving behind Kraków, the only place she has ever known. The new country, Canada, is a foreign entity of which Eva...