Please note: This is a companion version & not the original book. Sample Book Insights:#1 The port of Gotenhafen, in East Prussia, was a major hub for the German evacuation effort. It had come under Nazi control in 1939 after the Third Reich invaded Poland. The Germans renamed the seaside city after the Goths, an ancient German tribe.#2 The Wilhelm Gustloff was a German ship that was used as a hospital ship during World War II. It was used to transport wounded military personnel and war materiel, and secondarily refugees from the eastern territories.#3 The Woits set out from their house to reach Schwerin, a city northwest of Berlin. His mother, Meta, was deciding whether she and her son would stay in Germany or emigrate. The family had decided it would be best to meet in Schwerin, as it was likely to fall under American or British control.#4 The Wilhelm Gustloff was a cruise ship that was used to transport refugees away from the front lines. It was large, and easy to hit. Eva, a German Navy Women’s Auxiliary conscript, was stationed in Gotenhafen in January 1945, and she boarded the ship almost a full week before the other refugees.