Number the Stars

“It is much easier to be brave if you do not know everything.”

— Annemarie reflects on bravery and ignorance during the Nazi occupation.

“Ellen had said that her mother was afraid of the ocean, that it was too cold and too big. The sky was, too, thought Annemarie.”

— Annemarie thinks about fear and vastness while looking at the sky.

“She fell asleep, and it was a sleep as thin as the night clouds, dotted with dreams that came and went like the stars.”

— Description of Annemarie's restless sleep during a tense night.

“All of Denmark is his bodyguard.”

— Annemarie's father explains how Danes protect their Jewish neighbors.

“The whole world had changed. Only the fairy tales remained the same.”

— Annemarie observes how war alters reality, but stories endure.

“It was the first time she had ever seen her uncle cry.”

— Annemarie witnesses her uncle Henrik's emotional reaction to the war.

“Friends will take care of them. That's what friends do.”

— Annemarie's mother reassures her about helping Ellen's family.

“She remembered the earlier times, when she and Ellen had raced each other home from school.”

— Annemarie recalls peaceful childhood memories before the war.

“The sky and the sea were one, and she could not tell where the horizon divided them.”

— Annemarie observes the blurred boundary between sky and sea at night.

“There are no soldiers in the woods.”

— Annemarie's father assures her of safety in nature during the occupation.

“She was a stocky, blond girl, and Ellen was slender and dark.”

— Description contrasting Annemarie and Ellen's appearances.

“The whole world was cold and dark and too big, but there was a light somewhere.”

— Annemarie feels overwhelmed but hopeful during a dangerous moment.

“It is the ordinary things that are the most important.”

— Annemarie realizes the value of everyday life amidst war.

“She had never been so frightened in her life, but she had never been so proud.”

— Annemarie's mixed feelings after completing a brave act.