How does the structure of the text convey its deeper meaning? The chapters move within a 63-year time span, from World War II to 2005. How does seeing the perspective of younger Eva versus older Eva convey the work’s ultimate meaning?

The plot of the earliest chapters in the novel hinges on the characters’ choices. Take, for instance, the choice that Eva and her family make not to heed Joseph’s warnings about the upcoming seizure of Jewish people in Paris. How is this motif of denial of reality present throughout the novel, and how does it play into what happens to these characters?

Compare and contrast the characters of Madame Fontain and Madame Barbier. Look carefully at their treatment of the Taube family as well as their overall morality in the midst of wartime.