Eben Ramsey writes to thank Ashton for the lovely gift she sent Eli, his grandson. The boy sits and studies the blocks of wood, as if he can see something hidden inside them which he can release with his knife.

Not all of the children were evacuated during the war, but those that stayed behind suffered because there was not enough food for them. One boy was twelve but weighed no more than a seven-year-old. The choice was a terrible one for the parents: send their children away to live with strangers or keep them here in potential danger. The Germans might not come, but if they did, how would they treat the natives; however, England might be no safer if the Germans invaded there.

The Islanders were in shock when the German troops arrived because they did not think they would be of any use to Germany. They had assumed they would be spectators in the war, not participants. In 1940, though, Hitler moved quickly through Europe and was suddenly at the coast of France. Guernsey shook at the explosions in France, and it became obvious to the Islanders that England would have to use its resources to defend themselves. Guernsey was on its own.

In the middle of June, Guernsey officials called London to request ships to take their children to England. London said yes, but the children must be ready at once while the ships could still make the journey without harm. It was a desperate time for everyone and it felt to the Islanders like everything was in a great hurry. Ramsey’s daughter Jane was already weak at this time; but while other mothers were unsure, she insisted that her son, Eli, had to leave. The choice had to be made in one day, but the consequences lasted five years.

The school-age children and mothers with babies were transported first, and pocket money was given to any child who did not have any. The youngest children were thrilled at the prospect of buying sweets, and many thought it was going to be some kind of exciting, one-day field trip. They were the lucky ones; the older children, like Eli, knew better. One sight Ramsey will never forget is two little girls dressed in pink dresses and petticoats, as if they were attending a party. They must have been very cold as they crossed the Channel.

All the children were to be dropped off by their parents at the school where they were to say their good-byes. Buses took the children down to the pier. There was no time to gather a convoy to protect these ships or put enough life boats and life jackets on board for all the children.

Ramsey and Elizabeth McKenna took Eli to the hospital to say goodbye to his mother, but he could not do it. His jaw was clamped so tightly shut that he could only nod at her. Ramsey hugged the boy hard and left him at the schoolyard. McKenna stayed because she was one of the volunteers helping to get the children ready to leave. As Ramsey walked away, not knowing that it would be a five-year separation, he remembered Eli once telling him that he never felt “lonesome in his spirits.” It was something positive he could tell Eli’s mother, and he prayed that would continue to be true for his grandson.

Ramsey does not write about what happened inside the school, for that this something Isola Pribby witnessed and wants to tell Ashton herself. Among the things she saw: McKenna smacking Adelaide Addison in the face and making her leave. Ramsey says it is fortunate for Ashton that she does not know Addison, as she is “a woman too good for daily wear.” Ramsey has heard that Ashton might come to Guernsey for a visit and offers her his and Eli’s hospitality.

After reading Ramsey’s letter, Ashton sends Pribby a telegram asking if McKenna really did slap Addison and asking for details if so.