The Little Liar

The Jewish community in Salonika must be careful of how they choose to resist the German soldiers. They hold secret classes in different homes to continue teaching the children despite the closure of their schools. One morning, as Nico’s family attempts to hold one of these classes, a Nazi soldier invades their house and gives the family five minutes to pack and vacate their home. As the family frantically leaves their home, they begin to panic because Nico is nowhere to be found.

Sebastian looks up at their house and notices Fannie and Nico peering from a window. Sebastian experiences conflicting feelings over what to do because he is jealous that Nico is protecting Fannie. He decides not to alert his family to Nico’s presence, and this decision “change[s] his brother’s life forever” (47). The family, sans Nico, is marched through the streets to the Baron Hirsch quarter, a neighborhood of “decrepit” small buildings. The families are sorted into various buildings in groups of 15 or more.

Later, Lev decides to search the streets for Nico, but he discovers that the Baron Hirsch quarter has been enclosed by wooden walls and barbed wire. He runs into an acquaintance named Josef, and the pair discuss the barricade. Lev asks Josef how they can get out, but Josef tells him that the German officers have been ordered to shoot anyone who attempts to go beyond the walls.

That evening, Udo Graf steps into the abandoned Krispis household and claims it as his own. He contemplates the ease with which the Jewish people gave up their belongings and homes; he believes that this surrender proves them to be unworthy of keeping their belongings. He sits on the couch and realizes that he has not used his gun since the previous day, so he decides to shoot a framed wedding photo. He is surprised to hear a thumping sound behind him. He pulls open the door to a small crawlspace and finds Nico.

Yakki Pinto is a member of the Judenrat, the “Jewish Council” that the Nazis employ; the council is essentially a Jewish police force that follows Nazi orders. Pinto works as a translator for Uso Graf in the hopes that he will be protected from the wrath of the Nazis. Now, he translates Nico’s words to Udo, who is interrogating the boy. Nico states that he doesn’t lie and admits to being Jewish. He asks to be reunited with his family, and Udo claims that if Nico does what he asks, he and his family can be together again.

The narrative shifts to explain why Fannie is not present with Nico. Earlier, she hid with Nico in the crawlspace for an hour after they heard the soldiers come into the house. Then Fannie decided to find her father at his apothecary shop. Nico gave her Sebastian’s raincoat, and she kissed Nico goodbye. As she arrived at her father’s shop, Fannie heard her father asking to return to his shop for a bag of medication. As he went into the shop, one of the German soldiers shot and killed him. Fannie screamed and fainted.

Now, Fannie is brought to the place where Sebastian and his family are sleeping. Fannie tells Sebastian’s parents that Nico is alive and safe. She begins to cry when she tells them that her father is dead. Sebastian, trying to comfort her, tells her that she can keep his raincoat.

During his first night away from his family, Nico dreams of the time that his grandfather took him, Sebastian, and Fannie to the White Tower in Salonika for his birthday. They climbed to the top of the tower and took in the beautiful view of the city. Lazarre told the children how the White Tower received its name. Originally, the White Tower housed prisoners and was named the “Bloody Tower” for all of the bloodstains on the ground. When the people in charge decided to clean the tower up, one of the prisoners offered to paint the entire tower white in exchange for being pardoned and freed upon completion. It took more than a year, but the prisoner painted the entire tower white and was freed. Lazarre tells the children that the story proves that men will do anything to be forgiven.

In “earlier times,” the Angel of Truth walked amongst the people but was surprised to see the people flee. Parable came to speak with Truth, explaining that the humans were afraid because they were “stark naked.” Parable dressed the Angel of Truth in an array of colors, and the humans were no longer afraid.

Lies run rampant in Salonika, but the biggest lie of all is the lie of resettlement that Hitler and his generals tell. After a jovial meeting in the summer of 1942, they decide that all of the Jewish people must be killed. As a result, the death camps are created under the guise of resettlement.

During his second night in Baron Hirsch, Lev stands over a barrel fire with other men. One of the men claims to have overheard Nazi officers discussing the prospect of sending the Jewish citizens of Salonika north to live and work. Lev is immediately skeptical, and the men argue about the intentions underlying the resettlement. One man suggests that any destination would be an improvement over their current circumstances, but by the end of the evening, no one comes to an agreement despite much speculation.

Udo contemplates the logistics of getting the Jewish citizens of Salonika onto the trains that will take them to the death camp in Poland. He decides to employ Nico in his ruse. He takes Nico to the train station on the day before many people will be forced onto the trains, and he coaches the boy about what to say to the people. Udo instructs Nico to tell everyone that they are going to Poland and that all Jewish families will be reunited there. As Nico practices, unknowingly telling his first lie, Truth observes and weeps at the implications.

The night before the trains depart, wedding after wedding is conducted because of a spreading rumor that married couples will receive priority in acquiring their own homes. Families quickly arrange marriages in which compatibility and age hold no authority. The weddings are conducted in groups of five and do not include any of the usual celebratory traditions of a normal Jewish wedding. Sebastian is married to a young woman named Rivka against his wishes; he still loves Fannie, and marrying another woman feels like he is being stolen from her. As he and Rivka are married, Sebastian finds himself unable to look his bride in the face.

train platform, telling everyone the lie that Udo has coached him to repeat. As Udo watches Nico, he receives a letter from his superiors telling him that he is to go to Auschwitz for new orders. Udo becomes angry and feels that he has been betrayed by one of his superiors. Udo condemns Pinto to go to the death camp as well. Pinto begs not to be sent there, knowing the true purpose of the camps, but he is shoved into the train, and the door is bolted shut behind him.

As Nico continues to tell his lie, he sees Fannie and runs to her. Someone grabs Nico and tells him to stop lying. This causes Nico to doubt Udo. Nico hears his mother’s voice and begins to run toward her, but he is grabbed by several German officers and pulled away from his family. Udo contemplates placing Nico on a train but instead decides to leave him in Salonika. Udo tells Nico that he was lying about the new homes and jobs. The final train leaves, and Nico fruitlessly tries to run after it. Unable to catch up, he collapses and begins to cry. Truth states that while Nico does survive, the person he used to be no longer exists.