The Last Green Valley

The Martels and Losings arrive in Wielun, the first Polish town Hitler attacked in 1939. Adeline notices the empty farmlands surrounding the town and grows concerned about their food supply. Soon they arrive at their new home, a “gray, dilapidated, three-story, wood-framed building” (192). Emil’s parents and Marie and her twins take apartments on the second floor; Emil’s family and Lydia and Malia take apartments on the third floor. Emil believes their housing represents a portion of Major Haussmann’s promised punishment.

The first night in Wielun, Adeline makes the family give thanks to God for escaping the Soviets as well as for their food and shelter. Emil does not share her sentiments. When Emil requests new living quarters, he is denied and told he is being ungrateful that his family was saved from the Judeo-Bolsheviks.

Adeline is put to work in the town bakery while Emil does farm work. Emil vows to work diligently and remain unnoticed. In August 1944, the farm overseer, a Wehrmacht sergeant named Claude Wahl, invites Emil to his house for a drink. When Wahl questions Emil about his plans, Emil admits that he intends to head west, ideally across the ocean. Wahl advises Emil not to tell anyone.

Several days later, Wahl invites Emil back to his house. Wahl shows Emil to a locked room where he pulls out a shortwave radio. Emil is nervous; he never owned a radio because they were forbidden by both Stalin and the Nazis.

Wahl tunes the radio to the BBC German Service. They hear about Romania’s surrender to the Soviets and the Allies’ advances against the German armies. Wahl admits that Germany is losing the war; he tells Emil that they must be prepared for Berlin to fall.

Emil rushes home to tell Adeline, but she expresses doubt about his news. Emil insists that they must be ready to go to the Allies, and Adeline finally agrees. Adeline then tells Emil that she found a Jewish Bible under the floorboards in their kitchen. When Adeline asked a German-speaking Polish woman about it, the woman explained that their apartment and their clothes belonged to Jewish people who were murdered by the Nazis.

Rese reunites with the family in Wielun at the end of September 1944; to Adeline, she appears “glassy-eyed and much older” since her stay in the military hospital (208). Adeline tries to help Marie with the twins and tries to get Rese out of the house. Rese experiences frequent mood swings. Adeline also worries about their food rations, which dwindle each week.

Emil goes to Wahl’s house multiple times to listen to the shortwave radio. On October 21, 1944, he hears that Aachen has become the first German city to fall to the Allies. Emil tells Adeline to prepare to leave, but the German forces resist the Allies. At the end of November, Rese falls ill. Marie figures out that Rese is addicted to painkillers. In December, Emil becomes sick.

A sick Emil dreams about meeting Major Haussmann in 1941. Emil traveled to Dubossary to buy roofing supplies for their house in Friedenstal. As he left Dubossary, he was stopped at a German checkpoint and questioned about whether he was in the Selbstschutz. When he said no, the German soldier detained him.

Emil was told to join a group of civilian men waiting nearby. Major Haussmann introduced himself and explained that the men would demonstrate their loyalty to Germany and Hitler. They were led into open country, where Emil heard shooting and screams. He considered running away but knew he would be killed. Major Haussmann drove the men to an area where Jewish people were being shot by Nazi soldiers.

Another soldier, Captain Drexel, informed Major Haussmann that they killed 187 Jewish people that night. Many of the men started vomiting, except for a man named Helmut, who expressed excitement at getting to shoot Jewish people. Although Helmut volunteered to shoot first, Major Haussmann handed his gun to Emil. He instructed Emil to shoot a young man and two little girls, and Emil froze.

After days of being sick, Emil wakes up. Adeline does not tell Emil that their rations have been cut and they are almost out of food. On Christmas Eve 1944, the Martel and Losing families have a small celebration and are joined by Wahl, who is shocked by their living conditions. Wahl tells them that he is going to Lodz for a few weeks but will return earlier if needed.

On New Year’s Eve, an arctic blast hits Europe; soon multiple members of the Martel and Losing families are sick. A few days later, Adeline gets a ride to Lodz, where she intends to sell her family’s wedding rings for food. She stops at multiple black market food shops, but nobody will accept the rings as payment. Adeline wanders in the street and prays to God to help her family.

A few moments later, Adeline runs into a woman whom she recognizes as Esther, who is still going by the name Ilse. Adeline claims that God sent Esther to her. The two walk to Esther’s apartment, where she explains that she is still using forged papers to fake a German identity. Adeline asks if she can sell Esther the rings; instead, Esther hands her a wad of money, saying it is a “debt [she is] glad to repay” (226). Adeline leaves Esther’s apartment to return to the black market. As she walks away, she notices a German officer knock on Esther’s door. Adeline purchases a large amount of food for her family and spends the night at Esther’s apartment.