1. "I was almost twelve years old when I decided to kill my parents."
The book opens on a pretty dark scene in which Hannah believes death is
the best way out of her current situation. Why do you think she feels
this way? How does this set the tone for the rest of the book?
2. Consider Hannah's reaction to being
called "dirty" and then her reaction to being confused for an Aryan and
ending up on the cover of Das Deutsche Madel.
3. When Alma boards the St. Louis, she
is wearing her best outfit and jewelry. Why is it so important for her
to dress well as she leaves Germany? What message is she trying to send?
4. People praised The German Girl as "a
timely must-read." There are telegraphs and various news headlines
interspersed throughout Hannah's journey on the St. Louis, broadcasting
the political climate and crises of the time. How do these compare to
today's headlines and crises?
5. Had you heard of the tragedy of the
St. Louis prior to reading this book? How would those refugees have
benefited from today's social media exposure versus the newspaper
coverage of the time?
6. Why does Hannah's family feel
betrayed by her brother's involvement in the Cuban Revolution? How is it
similar to their experience in Berlin prior to leaving Germany for Cuba?
7. There are many parallels in The
German Girl. Among them are Alma's and Ida's reactions to grief, forcing
their daughters to assume more responsibilities at a young age. What do
you think of their insistence upon wanting to erase the past to make the
present more bearable? Does this coping mechanism ever really help?
8. Compare and contrast Hannah and Anna
and their reactions to loss. How have the tragedies experienced by the
Rosenthals bound them together and affected the other?
9. The 907 passengers who were not
allowed to disembark in Cuba-and were later also rejected by the United
States and Canada-found refuge in Great Britain (288), the Netherlands
(181), Belgium (214), and France (224), before all but those taken in by
Great Britain were claimed by the war. What do you think happened to the
passengers in the moments before they disembarked in those countries?
How do you think the locals reacted to their arrival?
10. Hannah keeps the little blue box all
those years without ever opening it. Why do you think she kept her
promise? What did you expect Hannah to find in the little blue box?
11. What does Anna represent for the
Rosen family? Why was it important for Anna to meet Hannah and finally
bring closure to their family history?