The children struggle to adapt to the gray, rainy climate of Belgium, which contrasts with their memories of sunny Spain. During a moment of homesickness, the children "adopt" a tree in the courtyard of their school. They christen it "the other Tree of Guernica." This tree becomes the emotional epicenter of their lives; they gather around it to share news from home, pray, and maintain their Basque identity. Part 2: Life in the Colony
The setting shifts to Belgium, where the children must adapt to a new culture and language. They are housed in "El Fleury," a temporary home where they struggle with homesickness but begin to form a tight-knit community. Chapter 4: Letters and Losses el otro arbol de guernica chapter summaries
September 1944. The Allies liberate Belgium. The children rejoice, but their joy is mixed with anxiety: what about Spain? Franco is still in power. They cannot return to a fascist dictatorship. Sabino’s mother, now located through the Red Cross, writes that she is alive and living in French Basque Country (Iparralde). She begs him to come home, but Sabino is torn – Belgium has become his home. The children struggle to adapt to the gray,