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1. 
   akannan Teacher
   Middle School

   eNotes Editor

   The book is a quick read.  When I say this, I only indicate that Yolen writes it in a style that makes it easy to read.  Hannah's story, her initial attitudes towards her culture and her background, and then going to the closet door to let in the prophet, being transported to Holocaust Era Poland, being mistaken for Chaya, and then having to endure the concentration camps, with its eventual theme of reverence for past makes the book a rather quick read.  The other reason it moves quickly is because it plays on a famiiiar theme:  Moody and self absorbed adolescent learns to embrace ideas larger than individual.  (Kirsten Dunst played Hannah in the movie, so one can see how this theme is rather familiar.)  The websites below can give you a good feel for it. The enotes website is actually a listing of questions of various topics within the book and from it.  In surveying these questions and answers, you will probably emerge with a greater understanding of the work, but I think reading it will be worth your time because it is a very strong and quick read.  This will give you the summary of which you seek.

   Sources:

   http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Devil%27s_Arithmetic

   http://www.edb.utexas.edu/resources/booksR4teens/book_rev...

   http://www.enotes.com/devils-arithmetic/group/

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   Posted by akannan on Thursday July 16, 2009 at 4:24 AM
   
   

2. 
   brandih

   eNotes Editor

   You can find a free chapter-by-chapter summary of "The Devil's Arithmetic" right here on eNotes.  Please follow the link below for more information.

   Sources:

   http://www.enotes.com/devils-arithmetic/q-and-a/need-chap...

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   Posted by brandih on Thursday July 16, 2009 at 11:33 AM