In the final section of the book, pages 270-317, Gratz concludes the novel by also concluding the symbols he used throughout the book for Josef and Ruthie: Bitsy, her stuffed rabbit, and her coat. He also concludes the novel with the idea of home and what that means for all three families. Throughout the novel he starts every child’s perspective with a marker of days from home - but at the end of the novel he not only ends that marker but also shows what the children have discovered in terms of the meaning of the word. You can check this out in greater depth at the link below:
http://www.bookrags.com/studyguide-refugee-alan-gratz/chapanal007.html#gsc.tab=0
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