The Rosens and the Johansens are scarcely prepared for the immense upheaval that begins to affect their everyday lives. As citizens of Denmark, their lives have been largely peaceful before the occupation of the Nazis, and Annmarie has never had any cause to think that her friend is any different from her. However, she soon finds that her friend is in immense danger that she can barely wrap her mind around. Because of this, Annmarie and her family put themselves at perpetual political and physical risk time and time again in order to ensure that the Rosens are safe. Even before the events of the narrative, the Johansens' son-in-law has already escorted Ellen's parents out of the country to relative safety. For the rest of the book, the Johansens pass off Ellen as a member of their own family. Harboring and hiding a Jewish person was an extraordinary offence during World War II, and the Johansens would have been severely punished if they were ever discovered.

On the other hand, the Rosen family shows their extraordinary bond with the Johansen family by completely trusting them with their own lives. During such a period of racial and cultural upheaval, the instinct to only trust one's own must be terribly great. However, so strong is the bond between the two families that the Rosens continue to trust the Johansens with everything, and it pays off in the end.