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This signals the beginning of the book. Josef wakes up to find Nazi soldiers at his door, and they take his father away to a concentration camp. Josef tries to protest this, but his age means the Nazis do not take him seriously.
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Josef, his mother, and sister meet with his father in Hamburg after he is released from the concentration camp. They are forced to leave Germany and they book a ticket on the ship MS Saint Louis in direction to Cuba.
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On their way to Miami, Josef's ship is denied entry. This means they must return to Europe.
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The ship has arrived to Cuba, however, passengers are not allowed to disembark the ship. Nazi crew members sack Josef's family cabin and the father under pressure jumps over board. A cuban police officer (Mariano) jumps in the water and saves him from drowning.
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Josef's family find refugee with a French family, however, they are soon apprehended by German Nazi soldiers. Josef is then taken to a concentration camp, where it is revealed towards the end of the novel, was the place of his death.
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A riot erupts in Havana due to the unfair living conditions under Fidel Castro's regime. Because Russia pulled out of the region and ceased trade with Cuba, the economy crashes. Isabel's father, Geraldo, is beaten by the police during the riot. The next day, Isabel and her family leave Cuba to go to Miami.
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Isabel and her family reach Miami. Isabel's grandfather sacrifices himself and jumps in the water to distract the US coast guards. He is sent back to Cuba and the family makes it to the shore. Their goal was to make it before Fidel Castro could ban immigration to the United States completely
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Mahmoud experiences the first hand impacts of war when his apartment's wall is blown out by a missile strike. While traveling to Germany, they are shot at and forced to make it on foot to Turkey.
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Mahmoud's family reaches the Hungarian border, but they are arrested and put into a detention center upon arrival.
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Mahmoud and his family hire a smuggler to take them to Greece. They board in an inflatable raft which pops during a storm. While Mahmoud's mother is on the brink of drowning, she gives her baby Hannah to a passing rescue boat to save her.
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When Mahmoud's family make it to Greece, they unsuccessfully look for baby Hannah. While looking for her, they are robbed by a Serbian taxi driver at gunpoint.
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Mahmoud flees with his parents and other refugees towards Austria and eventually, Mahmoud reaches Germany where he is taken into a foster family by Josef's sister. Things come full circle, as Josef's sister was once also in that situation.