Sisters Torn Apart

Lida and her younger sister Larissa are seized from their Ukrainian home by the Nazis, thrust into a sea of terrified children. During a brutal selection, the sisters are forcibly separated—Lida is sent to a group deemed "useful," while Larissa is taken elsewhere. Lida's desperate promise to find her sister and keep her safe becomes her driving force. This traumatic rupture marks the beginning of Lida's journey through the machinery of Nazi oppression, where survival depends on usefulness, and hope is a fragile thread.

Cattle Car to Captivity

Lida and other children are crammed into a filthy cattle car, enduring days of hunger, thirst, and fear as they are transported to Germany. The journey is marked by squalor, illness, and the first bonds of friendship with fellow captives like Luka and Zenia. The children's resourcefulness and compassion for one another emerge as they share meager food and comfort, but the uncertainty of their destination and the fate of their loved ones looms over them.

Proving Usefulness to Survive

Upon arrival at the labor camp, Lida quickly learns that only those who can prove their usefulness are spared from death or worse. She lies about her age and demonstrates her sewing skills, recalling her mother's lessons. The camp's brutal logic is clear: the young and weak are expendable. Lida's determination to survive and find Larissa is sharpened by the knowledge that every action, every skill, could mean the difference between life and death.

Barracks Bonds and Loss

In the girls' barracks, Lida forms a surrogate family with Zenia, Kataryna, and others, sharing stories, songs, and small acts of kindness. Yet, the camp's cruelty is relentless—children deemed too young or weak are sent to the hospital, where rumors of bloodletting and death circulate. The loss of friends like Marika and Olesia is a constant ache, but the girls cling to each other, finding solace in shared suffering and the hope that beauty and humanity can survive even here.

The Price of Kindness

Lida's sewing skills earn her a place in the laundry, where she is treated with relative kindness by Inge, the German supervisor. When Lida is rewarded with a shirt, she chooses to share it with Zenia, whose dress is in tatters. This act of generosity, while celebrated by her friends, draws the attention of the camp authorities and results in Lida being reassigned to more dangerous work. The episode underscores the precariousness of kindness in a world where survival often demands selfishness.

The Mark of Subhuman

The camp's system of colored badges—OST for Eastern workers, P for Poles—dictates every aspect of life, from food rations to work assignments. Lida and her friends are constantly reminded of their "subhuman" status, denied decent food and subjected to humiliation. The arbitrary cruelty of the system is reinforced by the daily indignities and the ever-present threat of violence, yet the girls resist dehumanization through small acts of defiance and mutual support.

Work, Hunger, and Hope

Daily life in the camp is a relentless cycle of exhausting labor, hunger, and cold. Lida's work in the laundry is grueling but offers a measure of safety. The girls barter, share, and scavenge to survive, dreaming of food and freedom. Despite the deprivation, moments of hope persist—songs, memories, and the belief that the war will end and loved ones will be reunited.

Secrets, Songs, and Sacrifice

Zenia reveals her Jewish identity to Lida, risking death if discovered. Lida gives Zenia her crucifix to help her pass as Christian, a gesture of profound trust and solidarity. The girls' nightly songs become a lifeline, a way to assert their humanity and remember happier times. Sacrifice and secrecy are necessary for survival, but they also forge unbreakable bonds.

The Hospital's Hidden Horrors

The camp hospital, rumored to be a place of healing, is in fact a site of horror where children are drained of blood for wounded Nazi soldiers. Juli, a Hungarian prisoner, confirms the worst fears—most children sent to the hospital do not return. The revelation is a devastating blow, deepening Lida's guilt for lying about her age and intensifying her resolve to survive and resist.

The Power of Small Defiance

As Lida and her friends are assigned to work in a bomb factory, they realize their labor is fueling the Nazi war machine. Despite constant surveillance, they find ways to sabotage the bombs—adding dirt, dampening gunpowder, and leaving messages for the Allies. These small acts of defiance are dangerous but vital, allowing the girls to reclaim a measure of agency and strike back at their oppressors.

Making Bombs for Hitler

Lida's new assignment is assembling bombs in a meticulously controlled environment, where a single mistake could mean death. The work is terrifying and morally wrenching, as the girls grapple with the knowledge that their labor may kill others. The ever-present threat of explosion, combined with the psychological toll of aiding the enemy, tests their endurance and ethics.

Sabotage and Solidarity

The girls' sabotage efforts intensify as the war turns against Germany. They coordinate their actions, risking execution if caught. The solidarity among the group deepens, as each act of resistance is both a blow against the Nazis and a testament to their shared humanity. The fear of discovery is constant, but the hope that they are saving lives sustains them.

Bombs Fall, Fates Collide

The factory and camp are bombed by the Allies, plunging the prisoners into chaos. Amid the destruction, Lida glimpses a girl she believes is Larissa, now living with a Nazi family. The moment is fleeting and ambiguous, leaving Lida torn between hope and despair. The bombing marks a turning point—guards flee, the camp dissolves into violence, and the prisoners must seize their chance for freedom.

Escape, Betrayal, and Survival

As the camp collapses, some prisoners escape, while others are rounded up or killed. Juli sacrifices herself confronting a sadistic officer, allowing others to flee. Lida is recaptured and transported to another forced labor site, where survival becomes even more tenuous. The journey through bombed-out Germany is a test of endurance, resourcefulness, and the will to live.

Liberation and Lingering Scars

American soldiers liberate Lida and her fellow prisoners, offering food, medical care, and the first taste of kindness in years. Yet, liberation is not the end—trauma, mistrust, and the search for family remain. Lida's recovery is slow, haunted by memories of loss and the uncertainty of the future. The war's end is both a blessing and a new beginning fraught with challenges.

Refugee Roads and Lost Names

Lida becomes one of millions of displaced persons, moving from camp to camp in postwar Europe. The threat of forced repatriation to the Soviet Union looms, as returning home means suspicion, punishment, or death. Lida and Luka, her closest friend, must hide their origins and navigate a world where names, papers, and allegiances are fluid and dangerous.

The Search for Family

Lida scours refugee camps, reading messages pinned to walls, hoping for news of Larissa. She reunites with some friends, learns of others' deaths, and faces the reality that many families will never be whole again. The search is both a literal and symbolic journey—an assertion that love and memory endure even when the world is shattered.

Letters, Lilacs, and New Beginnings

Years pass in the refugee camp, but hope is finally rewarded when Lida receives a letter from Larissa, now living safely in Canada. The sisters' bond, symbolized by a sprig of lilac, survives war, separation, and trauma. With the promise of sponsorship and a new life, Lida and Luka look toward a future shaped by resilience, love, and the determination to remember and rebuild.

Characters

Lida Ferezuk

Lida is the heart of the story—a tenacious, resourceful Ukrainian girl whose life is defined by loss, survival, and the unbreakable bond with her sister Larissa. Her journey from innocence to hard-won maturity is marked by trauma, guilt, and the constant need to prove her usefulness. Lida's psychological resilience is rooted in her sense of responsibility, her capacity for empathy, and her ability to find beauty and hope in the bleakest circumstances. Her relationships—with friends, mentors, and enemies—reveal her adaptability and moral courage, as she navigates the shifting dangers of war, captivity, and displacement.

Larissa (Nadia) Ferezuk

Larissa is Lida's younger sister, separated from her early in the story and largely absent except as a memory and motivation. Her fate is uncertain for much of the narrative, embodying both Lida's guilt and her hope. Larissa's eventual survival and new life in Canada represent the possibility of healing and reunion, even after profound trauma. Her transformation into "Nadia" reflects the loss and reinvention forced upon so many children by war.

Luka Barukovich

Luka is Lida's closest friend and surrogate brother in the camps. Streetwise, compassionate, and marked by repeated loss, Luka's journey mirrors Lida's—he is both a protector and a fellow sufferer. His attempts to return home after the war end in betrayal and violence, underscoring the impossibility of true return for many survivors. Luka's loyalty, humor, and vulnerability provide Lida with essential support, and their bond is a testament to the families forged in adversity.

Zenia Chornij

Zenia is a Jewish girl passing as Christian, her secret known only to Lida. Her survival depends on secrecy, adaptability, and the support of friends. Zenia's story highlights the layered dangers faced by Jewish prisoners and the solidarity required to survive. Her eventual escape and placement in a Jewish camp after the war suggest both the persistence of trauma and the hope of community.

Juli

Juli, a Hungarian political prisoner, works in the camp hospital and becomes a confidante and source of information for Lida. Her role as a reluctant participant in the camp's horrors, and her ultimate sacrifice in confronting a Nazi officer, illustrate the moral complexities and acts of courage that emerge in extremity.

Inge

Inge is the German supervisor of the laundry, whose treatment of Lida oscillates between exploitation and genuine kindness. Her willingness to reward Lida's skill, and her ultimate defense of her, complicate the binary of victim and perpetrator. Inge's character reveals the shades of complicity and humanity within the machinery of oppression.

Kataryna Pich

Kataryna is one of Lida's closest friends in the barracks, known for her quick thinking and practical skills. Her death by landmine after escaping the camp is a stark reminder of the random, senseless losses inflicted by war.

Natalia

Natalia is a Polish girl who becomes Lida's companion in the refugee camps. Her pragmatic approach to survival, her knowledge of the shifting political landscape, and her own search for family mirror Lida's journey. Natalia's presence offers comfort and continuity as old friends are lost and new challenges arise.

Officer Schmidt

Officer Schmidt is the camp official whose power over life and death is absolute. His interactions with Lida are marked by a chilling blend of bureaucratic detachment and personal cruelty. He represents the impersonal, dehumanizing force of the Nazi regime.

Pani Zemluk

Pani Zemluk is a former teacher who provides Lida with education, advice, and emotional support in the refugee camp. Her warnings about the dangers of repatriation and her insistence on self-preservation reflect the hard lessons learned by survivors.

Plot Devices

Separation and Reunion

The forced separation of Lida and Larissa is the central narrative engine, propelling Lida's actions and shaping her psychological landscape. The motif of lost and found—of family, identity, and home—recurs throughout, with each reunion or near-miss underscoring the randomness and cruelty of war, as well as the resilience of hope.

Usefulness as Survival

The Nazi system's obsession with "usefulness" is both a literal and metaphorical plot device. Lida's survival depends on her ability to prove her worth, whether through sewing, labor, or deception. This device exposes the dehumanizing logic of totalitarian regimes and the ways in which victims are forced to adapt, resist, or perish.

Small Acts of Defiance

The girls' sabotage of the bombs is a key plot device, transforming passive suffering into active resistance. These acts, though small, are fraught with risk and symbolize the persistence of agency and conscience even in the most constrained circumstances.

Symbolism of Objects

The crucifix, the OST badge, the blue dress, and the sprig of lilac are recurring symbols that connect characters to their past, their loved ones, and their hopes for the future. These objects serve as talismans, reminders of humanity, and links across time and trauma.

Shifting Settings and Authority

The narrative's progression through various camps, factories, and refugee centers mirrors the instability of the characters' lives. Each new setting brings new dangers, alliances, and opportunities for growth or loss. The constant threat of betrayal—by guards, systems, or even supposed liberators—maintains tension and underscores the precariousness of survival.

Analysis

"Making Bombs for Hitler" is a harrowing, deeply empathetic exploration of survival, identity, and resistance under totalitarian brutality. Through Lida's eyes, the novel exposes the machinery of dehumanization—how children are reduced to tools, how kindness becomes subversive, and how the bonds of family and friendship are both weaponized and salvaged. The story's power lies in its attention to the small acts of courage and solidarity that persist amid horror: a song, a shared crust of bread, a sabotaged bomb. Skrypuch's narrative insists on the importance of memory, the necessity of bearing witness, and the possibility of healing even after unimaginable loss. The lessons are urgent and universal: that the value of a human life cannot be measured by utility; that resistance, however small, matters; and that hope, though battered, can survive the worst the world has to offer.

Last updated: May 11, 2025