After

It is important to note that Gleitzman begins each chapter of the novel with the word “After,” deliberately echoing the title itself. This installment of the series also follows the same titular patterns that Gleitzman utilizes in previous novels, for each book is tersely labeled with an enigmatic time reference. The full range of novels in the series is as follows: Once, Then, Now, After, Soon, Maybe, and Always. Using a time reference to title each novel creates a strict yet open-ended chronology that gradually gains a growing sense of hope as the titles progress. In this novel, the word “after” symbolizes the aftermath of the Holocaust and the impact it has on the lives of the characters, highlighting the reality that although the war is drawing to a close, people will never be the same as they were before the conflict. Now, after the onslaught of the traumatic war itself, they still face the painful and difficult process of rebuilding and healing after the life-changing experiences of war and genocide.

That being said, the word “After” also holds positive connotations, for Felix Salinger has survived the war and will live to build his own version of what happens “after.