The Last Green Valley

Nearly two weeks into the trek, many refugees are starting to die from the harsh conditions. Adeline and Emil agree to check the boys every night for lice, which carry typhus. They learn that the Soviet army is moving northwest, so the German soldiers leading the caravan reroute them to the south.

Adeline falls asleep and dreams about marrying Emil. He proposed to her a year after their first meeting. Adeline was hesitant to accept and worried that marrying Emil meant giving up her financial independence. However, Mrs. Kantor insisted that Adeline should marry Emil because “it is better to be a poor wife than a rich maid” (86).

Adeline’s dream shifts to several years later. After getting married, she and Emil moved to Pervomaisk to be near Karoline. In 1935, Adeline contracted malaria while six months pregnant. She suffered multiple malaria attacks, including during her delivery. Their son Waldemar was small, and continued malaria attacks meant that Adeline was unable to breastfeed. Emil’s coworker told them that he left a bottle of cream with Karoline. When Adeline returned to the apartment, Karoline claimed she drank the cream because Waldemar would not. Eight-week-old Waldemar died in January 1936. Waldemar’s death marked the first time Adeline heard Emil cry. Twenty-one months later, Adeline gave birth to a second son, also named Waldemar.

As the caravan progresses, the Martels’ wagon passes by Nikolas and Major Haussmann. Adeline questions Emil when the two men seem to recognize him, but Emil refuses to acknowledge that he knows them.

The Martel and Losing clan set up camp by a creek and are approached by a man carrying a bottle of wine. He introduces himself as Corporal Gheorghe of the Third Romanian Army. Corporal Gheorghe tells them about a companion, Private Kumar. Corporal Gheorghe and Private Kumar were part of the Romanian forces attacked by the Soviet Army during the battle of Cotul Donului. Private Kumar was killed by a mortar shell, while Corporal Gheorghe survived. He walked through the battlefield without being hit. Corporal Gheorghe claims that he was protected by the “Almighty One, God, the Divine, the Universal Intelligence” (103). Emil argues in response that there is no God.

The Martel and Losing families awake to a Soviet attack. They seek protection in a culvert next to the creek. Adeline distracts herself by remembering a moment in 1941 when they lived in Pervomaisk. The Germans had just invaded the village; Adeline’s brother, Wilhelm, and Emil’s brother, Reinhold, were conscripted by the Wehrmacht.

As Adeline walks down the street in Pervomaisk with Walt and Will, she runs into Esther, a woman she met while working for Mrs. Kantor. Esther explains that she is going by the name Ilse now and needs help. Esther reveals that Nazis have started murdering Jewish people across the river in Bogopol.

The Martel and Losing families leave the culvert to get their wagons but realize that the blasts are now closer than expected. They escape just in time. As they continue on their journey, they pass by debris and wounded refugees calling out for help. Adeline tries to distract herself from the carnage by picturing the green valley from Mrs. Kantor’s book.

Adeline remembers running into Esther in 1941. Esther asks for Adeline’s help retrieving forged papers from a man in Odessa so she can hide her Jewish ancestry. Adeline agrees, refusing to take any money from Esther; instead, Adeline tells Esther that she will pay her back sometime in the future.

At the border, Major Haussmann announces that he and Nikolas must check all refugees’ papers before they cross. Major Haussmann questions the Martel family’s papers, but Karoline proves their German ancestry by producing their family Bible, which they kept safe during Stalin’s purges. Major Haussmann questions if he has met Emil before, but Emil denies it. When Emil denies being a member of the Selbstschutz, Major Haussmann forces him to take an oath of allegiance to Hitler. Adeline later asks Emil if he knows Major Haussmann, and Emil admits that the major participated in detaining him in Dubossary years ago but does not provide any other details.

The Martels and Losings cross the border. Adeline scans the Romanian soldiers to see if she recognizes Corporal Gheorghe. While she expresses wonder at Corporal Gheorghe’s story, Emil maintains that he is simply crazy. Adeline bows her head and gives thanks to God for protecting her family. Although Stalin had banned religions including Lutheranism, Adeline maintained a strong sense of faith.

Adeline falls asleep and dreams about acquiring Esther’s forged papers. Emil was angry with Adeline for putting their family’s safety at risk. The forger initially refused to give the papers to Adeline, but she assured him that she would keep the papers hidden. When the forger relented, Adeline hid the papers in Will’s baby sling.

As the caravan approaches the Romanian town of Onesti, the Martels pass an upturned wagon. Next to it sit a woman, her children, and the woman’s dead father. Emil helps the woman with her wagon and then buries her father but refuses to join Adeline and the woman in prayer.