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The Dresden Bombings Start
The families of both Oskar's grandmother and Oskar's grandfather were living in Dresden during the attacks. Thomas' love of his life, Anna, who was also Oskar's grandmother's sister, dies during the bombings. Thomas survives by running from shelter to shelter, and when he returns to his house, the only thing remaining is the door. He burns his hand on the doorknob, which becomes a symbol for the rest of the book. -
Thomas Shell Sr. Meets Oskar's Grandmother
After becoming mute, Thomas is approached by a woman who can tell he has lost everything. While still at the bakery, she askes him to may her. -
Thomas Shell Sr. Goes Back to Dresden
Oskar's grandfather, Thomas Shell Sr., decides to leave Oskar's grandmother while she is pregnant and goes back to his hometown, Dresden. He leaves because is afraid to lose something that he loves. -
Death of Oskar's Father
He dies during the attack of 9/11 while he is inside the World Trade Center for a meeting about his jewelry business. He makes a total of five calls back to the home phone at the Shell house letting his family know that he was okay. -
Oskar Finds the Key
About a year after the death of his dad, Oskar in looking through his dad's closet. He accidently breaks a vase, but inside it he finds an envelope with a key. The envelope has the name Black on it, inspiring him to try to find every person with the last name of Black in New York City to find the lock to the key and become more connected to his father. -
Oskar Starts Looking for the Lock
Oskar decides to take every weekend to meet every person with the last name of Black in New York City alphabetically. -
Oskar Meets Abby Black
When Oskar meets Abby, she seems distraught but he describes her as beautiful. They talk about elephants and he asks to kiss her. She does not think this is good idea and he talks to her about the key he believes she is lying. -
Oskar meets Mr. Black
Oskar helps Mr. Black to turn on his hearing aids after many years and he is able to hear again. Mr. Black has seemingly been to every place in the world, but has not left his apartment in many years. Oskar invites him to join him on his search to hind the lock. -
Oskar Meets the Renter
Oskar meets his grandfather, whom he only knows as the renter because his grandmother will not reveal his true identity to him. At this point, the perspectives of the story overlap. -
Oskar Digs up his Dad's Grave
At the two year anniversary of his dad's death, Oskar, along with the help of his grandfather, decide to use a shovel and sneak out by the light of a flashlight to dig up his empty coffin. At first Oskar does not know what to fill it with once they open it, but Oskar's grandfather has an idea and Oskar trusts him. Once they get there, he opens the suitcases he brought with him and puts in the many letters he was never able to mail to his son in the coffin. -
Oskar Listens to Abby's Messgae
Oskar decides to listen to a message from Abby Black that has been waiting for him for eight months, since he first visited her. She says she lied to him about the key and he visits her. She says her husband knows about the key. -
Oskar Goes to William Black's Office
After Oskar talks to Abby about her husband's involvement with his key, he goes directly to his office. William explains that his dad died and he tried to get rid of all of his possessions. Afterward, he opened a letter from his dad explaining he left the key for William. He knew he sold the vase to Oskar's dad, but he did not know his name, and spent two years looking for the key to open his safe box. Oskar was disappointed, but did not want to go with William to open the safe.