Chapters 7-13
Chapter 7
Josef is brought back to the Jewish car by the Hitler Youth, who warns him not to try that again. He is surprised by the Youth’s behavior. When they disembark from the train, Josef and his family head to the Hamburg Docks, spotting the M.S. St. Louis flying a Nazi flag.
An unrecognizable man approaches the family, and it takes Josef a moment to realize it’s his father, Aaron, who has come from Dachau. His head is shaved, and he is emaciated; he soon expresses paranoid anxieties about what the Nazis are planning for them.
Aaron tries to rush onto the ship while his mother apologizes and shows them their tickets. Josef is struck by German sailors loading the ship and bringing people on board “like real passengers.” The ship leaves the dock, and Josef worries about his father and what happened at Dachau to change him so much.
Chapter 8
Isabel, Papi, and Lito return home and describe the riot to her mother, Mami, who is nine months pregnant. The narrator reveals that Papi has tried to leave Cuba before but was stopped by weather and boat issues. In recent years, the U.S. instituted “Wet Foot, Dry Foot,” declaring that refugees who made it to U.S. land could stay, but if they were found on the seas, they’d be returned to Cuba.
Papi and Lito argue over Papi’s plans to flee again. The TV broadcast of the riots blames U.S. agents, but the Cubans were actually rioting against their government. Castro announces that Cubans can leave the island without prosecution, and Isabel suggests the whole family escape.
She goes to Ivan’s house and tells him and his father what Castro said. They have the boat but no gasoline. Isabel trades her trumpet for enough gasoline to get their party – her family and the Castillos – to Florida.
Chapter 9
In the aftermath of the explosion, Mahmoud notices Waleed is close to the edge, and he warns him not to move. Once Waleed is safe, they reunite with their mother and baby Hana. She gives the baby to Mahmoud and tells them to leave the building while she gathers belongings.
Mahmoud and his siblings rush down the stairs with a neighboring family, and the immediacy of the conflict in Syria dawns on Mahmoud. Eventually, the children reconnect with their mother and try to get in touch with their father. Soon, he is running toward them. He reveals a plan to go to Turkey and Germany but thinks they will eventually return to Aleppo.
Mahmoud’s father has cash and is relieved they are all alive. He regrets they haven’t left sooner but is determined to protect his family.
Chapter 10
Life is pleasant on the St. Louis – “all of the passengers are Jews,” and Josef’s family is treated “with kindness and respect.” Ruthie befriends two other girls on the ship. Josef starts thinking about his bar mitzvah, which he’d been looking forward to. The kids pull some silly pranks, enjoying their time on the ship.
Chapter 11
Isabel and her party carry the boat to the sea that night, but Isabel is worried Castro’s announcement is too good to be true. Reporters attempt to interview them on the beach about why they are leaving Cuba. Isabel is astonished by the number of boats assembled and the number of Cubans fleeing their home island.
As they get the boat in the water and start the engine, two police officers rush toward them, causing momentary panic. However, they are Luis, Ivan’s brother, and his girlfriend. Someone fires at them...
(This entire section contains 878 words.)
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from the shore, hitting the Castillos’ boat. Papi and Senor Castillo quarrel as Isabel thinks about the challenging voyage ahead.
Chapter 12
Mahmoud’s father fills the car with gas, and his mother pulls up a route on her phone. After driving for an hour, their car is stopped by four soldiers who test their loyalty by asking what side they support. Waleed inadvertently saves them by replying they are “against whoever is dropping the bombs on us.” The soldiers join them in the car and try to help route them around dangerous areas.
When they are near the highway, Mahmoud and his family hear gunfire, and bullets hit the car. A tire is blown out, and one of the soldiers is shot dead. The others return fire, and the family strategizes to run away from the car, leaving their belongings behind.
Chapter 13
Josef sees an announcement that a social hall will be converted to a synagogue, and he hopes that means he can have his bar mitzvah. Aaron is paranoid, thinking the synagogue is a Nazi trap. Josef has his service, but Aaron doesn’t attend.
The rabbi asks the captain if they can remove the portrait of Hitler for the ceremonies, and he agrees, angering a crew member who is watching from above. Josef feels the rite has transformed him into a man. After the bar mitzvah, Ruth and the other girls play pranks, but Josef no longer has patience. Josef overhears crew members talking about ships racing to Cuba and the possibility that the passengers won’t be accepted onto the island.
