“‘No, Milada.’ She took it out of my hand and pinned it on the inside of my blouse, her hands trembling slightly. ‘You must keep this and remember,’ she whispered, bending close to my ear. ‘Remember who you are, Milada. Remember where you are from. Always.’”

This quote presents the main challenge that the protagonist must overcome in the story and introduces the most important symbol, Babichka’s star-shaped garnet pin. Babichka is speaking to Milada before the Nazi soldiers separate their family. Babichka is aware that Milada’s beliefs and identity will be challenged and gives her the pin to serve as a tactile reminder of Milada’s home, family, and identity.

“As I raised my arm, I shuddered at the thought of Babichka seeing me. What would she have said? Her oldest granddaughter saluting a picture of the man she thought was Satan himself, in a place that had once held a cross.”

The Nazis force Milada and the other kidnapped girls to salute a photo of Hitler before going to sleep. From her first night in the facility, Milada’s ability to maintain her Czech values are challenged. However, she still possesses an awareness of her Czech identity and family. Nazism came to replace religion for many Germans, and Hitler’s photo is in a place that once held a cross, which is a prominent Christian symbol.

“Carefully, I pinned the star to the inside of my uniform shirt so no trace of it would show. I realized now that it needed to stay with me always.”

On Milada’s first day in the facility, she realizes the importance of Babichka’s pin and the necessity to conceal the pin just like her Czech identity. Milada decides to always keep the pin with her so that it can constantly remind her of the truth. The pin is symbol of Milada’s Czech identity, and the removal of the pin later in the story coincides with her confusion about her identity.