When The World Was Ours

Ever since the letter from Papa the year before, Leo’s mother hopes for another one and becomes more and more deflated when each day brings no new letters. One day, Leo can no longer bear to see his mama this way and blurts out that he has a girlfriend. Annie, the girl from the movie theater, has been his girlfriend for a while now, but he was waiting for the right moment to tell his mother. Suddenly, her mood lifts and she is overjoyed, wanting to hear all about Annie. Leo tells her that Annie is Jewish and came to England on the Kindertransport five years ago. Privately, he remembers the first time he kissed Annie; it had been a long time coming after months of growing friendship. Now Leo hugs his mama and assures her that one day, Papa will get to meet Annie too.

Max is informed that the family is moving again, this time to Auschwitz: the largest concentration camp of the Nazi regime. Initially, Max is angry and hates the idea of uprooting his life and losing the social power that he has earned in Munich.