Then

Then (2008) is the sequel to Once (2005), a critically acclaimed novel of children’s historical fiction by Australian author Morris Gleitzman. Once follows the continuing adventure of Felix Salinger and Zelda, two children who lost their parents during World War II. Set during the Nazi occupation of Poland, Felix struggles to keep Zelda safe in a hostile country. Felix is Jewish, and Zelda has renounced her Nazi parents; the two children regard each other as the only family they have left. They find shelter with Genia, a Polish farmer, as Felix faces the complexities of hiding his identity in an antisemitic environment. Gleitzman wrote Once to help give voice to the children whose stories went unheard due to the Holocaust. In Then, he explores “the gen­er­os­i­ty and brav­ery of the peo­ple who risked their lives to shel­ter oth­ers, of­ten chil­dren, who were not mem­bers of their fam­i­ly or faith, and by do­ing so saved them” (115). The subsequent books in the series are titled Now (2010), After (2012), Soon (2015), Maybe (2017), and Always (2021). Together, all seven books follow Felix’s life; the series has been met with critical acclaim and is generally viewed as a good introduction for children to the sensitive genre of Holocaust literature.

This guide refers to the Barnes and Noble Nook e-book edition.

Content Warning: Both this guide and its source text contain depictions of antisemitic discrimination, violence, genocide in the context of World War II, and death by suicide.

Plot Summary

Then begins in medias res, right after the conclusion of Once. Felix Salinger and Zelda have just buried their friend, Chaya, who was shot to death after the three of them jumped from a train that would have taken them to a death camp. Now, the two remaining children take refuge from Nazi soldiers and come across an uncovered mass grave of recently murdered Jewish orphans. Felix placates Zelda with stories as they try to come up with a survival plan. They promise to never leave each other. Felix decides that they need to find new parents and that the best place to do so is near the mass grave. A local farmer offers them shelter in his wagon, but when Felix sees the flier advertising a reward for turning in Jews to the authorities, as well as an unconscious Jewish boy in the back of the wagon, Felix and Zelda flee.

The two children are found by Genia, a farmer woman who lives nearby. She locks them in a barn but gives them some food. Felix is suspicious of Genia, but she successfully distracts some Nazi soldiers who come to the farm, keeping Felix and Zelda safe. Though Genia was raised to dislike Jews, she hates Nazis and people who hurt children much more. She bathes Felix and Zelda and bleaches their hair so they will fit in better.

Felix and Zelda take on the fictional identities of Genia’s nephew and niece, using the names Wilhelm and Violetta (derived from the characters William and Violet from Felix’s favorite writer, Richmal Crompton). The two children enjoy a peaceful period of time with Genia, her dog Leopold, a pig named Trotski, and numerous chickens that live in the barn. One day, a Jewish orphan sneaks into the barn and gives Leopold some meat; he seems to be friendly with the dog, but he pulls a knife on Zelda when she reprimands him for mistreating Trotski.

Felix and Zelda’s new identities are put to the test when they visit town to barter for supplies with the eggs laid by the chickens. Felix meets Cyryl Szynsky, the son of the local shop owners: a crass, antisemitic boy who leads a gang. Felix steals a Richmal Crompton book. Everyone is forced to watch a parade of the Hitler Youth. Zelda sticks her tongue out at the Nazis, making Cyryl laugh, which causes a disruption. In the confusion, Felix drops the book. A Hitler Youth sees the book and gives Felix a thumbs-up. At home, Genia reprimands Zelda for misbehaving because she drew attention to herself and endangered them all. Felix tries to explain to Genia about Zelda’s parents; he shows her Zelda’s locket, which contains portraits of her Nazi parents. Felix knows that Zelda will continue to act out in front of Nazis until she can reconcile her feelings about her parents—but this proves difficult.

Nazi soldiers return to the farm, this time to take Trotski and the chickens. At the same time, Cyryl and his gang arrive to ask Felix to join. Nervous, Felix agrees. However, he must first prove that he is not Jewish by showing the boys that he is uncircumcised. When he hesitates, Cyryl and his gang try to forcibly remove his pants. Panicked, Felix soils himself as a last line of defense. A gunshot interrupts them; one of the soldiers has shot and killed Leopold.

As Genia, Felix, and Zelda mourn the loss of Leopold, Trotski, and the chickens—whose eggs were their only source of income—Felix resolves to find food for his family. He sneaks out in the night to catch rabbits, but he is unable to kill the rabbit he grabs. He runs into the Jewish orphan, who invites him to hunt the Nazi soldiers who are fishing with grenades nearby. Felix declines, and to his horror, he witnesses the boy shoot a soldier in the head. Frantically worried about the soldiers seeking revenge, he returns home and begins digging a shelter in the barn that Zelda can hide in. Genia adds to his worries when she shares the news that her husband, Gabriek, will be returning home soon.

One day, they are forced to assemble in the town square to publicly mock Jewish prisoners. The Hitler Youth from the other day sees Felix and tells him that he is also a fan of Richmal Crompton. Zelda causes a scene when she rushes up to a Jewish couple. When Felix tries to intervene, a soldier smashes him on the head with the butt of his rifle.

As Felix recovers, he begins to think that Genia and Zelda would be safer if he left; neither of them is Jewish. In order to ensure Zelda’s safety, he lets himself be selected to pick potatoes for the Nazis in order to talk to the Hitler Youth boy, who is one of the guards at the potato field. Cyryl nearly reports Felix to the guards, but Felix is saved by Zelda’s locket and the intervention of the Hitler Youth boy. The boy introduces himself as Amon Kurtz. He does not agree with what the Nazis are doing, and he promises to help Zelda if he can.

The Jewish orphan, whose name is Dov, ambushes Felix on his way home, accusing him of being a Nazi sympathizer after seeing him chat with Amon. Felix invites him to dinner. Dov is full of rage, but Genia coaxes him to tell his story through drawing. Dov’s parents owned the Jewish orphanage. They were murdered along with the orphans, but Dov somehow survived. Dov’s story inspires Zelda to draw a picture of her parents apologizing, and her action indicates that she forgives her parents.

The next day is the birthday of Felix’s Wilhelm persona, so Genia takes Zelda to town to get a surprise for him. Felix takes this opportunity to leave. He writes a farewell letter to Zelda and Genia, and he writes a story about their caring hearts. When he goes to stash them in the shelter he made in the barn, he is shocked to see that Gabriek has returned. Felix explains the situation, and when he sees that Zelda left her locket behind, he rushes to town to give it to her.

Felix is met by a commotion in town. Cyryl gleefully tells Felix that Genia and Zelda have been captured. To Felix’s horror, he sees that Genia and Zelda, along with Mr. Kroll, the farmer who had been keeping Dov safe, have all been hanged in the town square. Felix’s sorrow turns to anger. He finds Dov, and together, they seek revenge. Felix nearly goes through with their plan of suicide-bombing the Hitler Youth headquarters, until he is stopped by Amon, who gives him the birthday present Zelda intended for him: a gold locket with a hand-drawn picture of Felix and Zelda. Meanwhile, Dov detonates his grenades, destroying half of the building.

Felix decides to live on to preserve Zelda’s memory. He has been hiding in the barn for 11 months, aided by Gabriek. He hopes that Zelda’s story can make the world a more peaceful place.