Summary

In Chapter 10, Lale becomes an honorary member of the extended “Gypsy” family, learning that this is actually a derogatory term used for the nomadic Romany people (103). One of the older women, Nadya (which means “hope”), reminds him of his mother, and the last time he saw his own family at the train station (107). Chapter 11 brings us to the summer of 1943 and the new doctor on site, Doktor Josef Mengele, who roughly inspects the female prisoners, sends chills down Lale’s spine. In Chapter 12, Baretski and the SS play Lale and a group of prisoners in a demoralizing soccer match. Meanwhile, Lale and Gita continue to steam moments alone together.

In Chapter 13, Lale is instructed to tattoo the arms of the girls that Mengele has sorted through and is sick to his stomach. Later, Gita is devastated when she learns that her parents and...