Chapter Seven (Geertrui) Summary

Late in the afternoon on the day the British soldiers receive their orders, Geertrui's brother, Henk, and her fiancé, Dirk, show up. Geertrui's parents are beside themselves with happiness: they had thought both boys to be dead. The soldiers are also pleased for the family they have come to love, but it is clear that there is sadness in their eyes as well: they wish they were having the same reunion with their own families. Henk and Dirk have decided that Geertrui should come with them back to the countryside, to be safe from the German soldiers when they arrive. They fear that the Germans will punish anyone who helped aide or abed the British soldiers, and they have been known to act violently against young women. Geertrui fumes as her family discusses her future without her input. Finally...