White Bird: A Wonder Story

Part 2 opens with a line from Muriel Rukeyser’s poem “Seventh Elegy: The Dream-Singing Elegy”: “I hear your cries, you little voices of children…” (77).

Over the next few days, the Beaumiers unsuccessfully searched for Sara’s parents. They were also unable to execute their plan of smuggling her to Switzerland, as Nazis set up new headquarters in Dannevilliers. Sara was unable to leave the barn at all, as Julien’s neighbors, the Lafleurs, sat by their front window all day long. The Beaumiers and Lafleurs used to be friendly, but the Lafleurs turned reclusive and secretive after the Occupation. However, Vivienne continued to bring them milk from the market every day, just as she used to when they were friends.

Vivienne visited Sara every day, taking a long and circuitous route into town and through the forest to do so, to avoid any suspicion. Sara spent her time reading the books Vivienne brought her, sketching in their pages, exercised, but mostly daydreamt. Accompanying panels show her looking out a tiny window in the back wall of the barn, following which a white bird exits the same window and flies over the bordering forest (86).