A Long Petal of the Sea

Spending several months in the same French concentration camp where Roser had been, Victor helps heal the sick with a small number of doctors and nurses in horrific conditions. In April 1939, Aitor Ibarra visits him. At first, Aitor does not recognize that the “ragged scarecrow standing in front of him” (103) is Victor. Telling Victor where Roser is, Aitor encourages him to get out of Europe. With World War II looming, Aitor is headed to Venezuela in one week.

Able to leave the camp as a medic, Victor finds Elisabeth Eidenbenz and then Roser, who is staying at a Quaker’s house. Roser has given birth to a boy, Marcel, who is healthy thanks to the care and shelter provided by the Quaker family. In Spain, the war is over, with France and Great Britain recognizing Franco’s government. Given that and the impending war in Europe, Victor goes to Paris to apply for a spot on Pablo Neruda’s Winnipeg, which will transport Spanish exiles to Chile. He learns that the only way for Roser, her baby, and himself to get passage on the Winnipeg is if they are a family. He must marry Roser. Finally, Victor tells her about Guillem’s demise and the need for marriage to escape Europe.