‘But who? Who are they?’

‘Our enemies, Hetty. There are many who want to destroy us. They want to kill, to maim, to rid us of everything we hold dear. They want to destroy our very way of life.’

Little fingers of fear creep slowly across my skin.

‘But who are these enemies?’

Mutti squeezes my hand.

‘Oh, they are many and varied. But behind them all are the Jews. They want to take over the world for their own benefit. But you mustn’t worry yourself, my darling,’ she says in her bright voice. ‘With Hitler at the helm of our new Germany, we have nothing to fear. Those who seek to harm us will be quaking in their boots!’

11 October 1933

‘Sorry, I can’t today,’ I tell Freda, the Jewess, when she asks me to be her partner in gymnastics. Her shoulders droop in disappointment and I feel a stab of guilt. I search the playground frantically for another partnerless person to avoid being shoved together anyway. Gerda shakes her head at me and grabs Ava’s hand, in case I should be in any doubt.

‘Hey, would you like to be my partner today?’

I spin around and there is Erna, long and lean in her white gymslip. A half-smile flits across her lips.

‘Okay.’ I attempt nonchalance, but my heart is pumping in my ears as we stand side by side.

Erna need not know where I used to live. She need not know that, at my old school, I had only one friend, Tomas. Our family is going up in the world, that’s what matters.

‘Girls!’ Fräulein Sauber claps her hands for attention. ‘Listen carefully and follow my instructions. With your partner and your batons, you will work on the routines I taught you last week. Concentrate on reaching high with your arms and the graceful placing of your legs and feet. Your partner will point out any errors. Find yourselves a space.’

We position ourselves near the back steps of the building.

‘Now,’ there is a glint in Erna’s eyes, ‘show me your best twirl. And don’t forget to lift that baton high and point your toes!’ She mimics Fräulein Sauber’s high-pitched voice and suddenly I’m laughing and the two of us swirl and sway, waving our batons and pointing our toes in a vastly exaggerated fashion. With Erna at my side, I couldn’t care less if I get into trouble with the squeaky Fräulein.

I glimpse Freda practising her moves on her own in the far corner of the playground. She looks sad and lonely, but I mustn’t feel sorry for her, because she isn’t one of us. I make sure I don’t look at her again.

‘One, two, three… Heil!’ Erna whips her baton across her top lip and extends her right arm up into a stiff salute.

‘Erna!’ I hiss at her daring, but I’m laughing so much my face aches.

‘Class!’ I deepen my voice, to sound like Dr Kreitz. I stick out my belly and throw my arms out wide. ‘Take note of this author you must learn nothing about! He is great, he is brilliant, and he is banned!’