The German Girl

Hannah says that the “only people Mama felt comfortable with on board were the Adlers” (143), whose cabin is just two doors down from theirs. Mr. Adler has not gotten out of bed since he arrived on the ship. Mr. Adler had not wanted to leave Germany but went because his wife insisted. The Adlers are both 87 years old. Alma tells Mrs. Adler, “We lived on illusions and woke up far too late” (144), and suggests that they all should’ve moved earlier. Mrs. Adler replies that there is not always somewhere to go. Hannah leaves the dark cabin. Out on the deck she finds a man roller skating as children play with him and try to push him over. Leo takes Hannah to a corner of the deck and tells her that he wants to give her his mother’s wedding ring. When she says danke, in German, Leo tells her, “From now on, you have to forget danke. It’s gracias, okay?” (147). “Moonlight Serenade” by Glenn Miller, which had been popular in Berlin, plays over the loudspeaker. Leo and Hannah dance together before the ship signals that it is time for dinner.