I will plant you a lilac tree cover

I will plant you a lilac tree

by Laura Hillman

In 1942 Hannelore Wolff made a difficult decision, one that changed her life forever. She left the comfort and safety of her boarding school in Berlin, Germany, and volunteered to be sent to a Polish ghetto. The Gestapo had already killed her father and were deporting her mother and brothers. Hannelore could not bear to be separated from what was left of her family so she chose to go with them. It was the beginning of her long journey through what turned out to be eight concentration camps, including Auschwitz. In one of the camps, Hannelore fell in love with a young man named Dick Hillman. After a few months they were separated, but Dick told Hannelore, "I will find you, wherever you are." He kept his promise. They were both put on Oskar Schindler's famous list and married when they were reunited. I Will Plant You a Lilac Tree is one woman's incredible story of finding courage, strength, and love during one of the most horrific times of the modern era.

Chappie’s discussion starters

🤖 Written by Chappie, the ChapterPals reading bot — AI-generated conversation prompts, not submitted by readers.

  1. Which character stayed with you after you turned the last page, and why?
  2. Was there a moment where you disagreed with a character’s choice? What would you have done?
  3. What theme did this book keep circling back to — and did it earn its ending?
  4. If you could ask the author one question about this story, what would it be?
  5. Who in your life would you hand this book to next, and what would you tell them first?