Everything Is Illuminated

Brod is 12 years old and dressed as a mermaid for the Trachimday festival. She does not want to go but feels obligated as the most beautiful girl in Trachimbrod. The shtetl is draped in white string, and the floats are covered in butterflies. Brod sits on the Trachimbrod float, and when she gets to the right place in the river she throws sacks in the water. The men dive in after the sacks, reenacting the attempted rescue of Trachim. The man who pulls up the winning bag gets the gold inside. Afterward, there is a party during which everyone gets drunk and has sex, and all this love creates a light that’s visible even from space. Brod goes home, takes off her mermaid costume, and finds Yankel dead. The man who won the diving contest, known as the Kolker because he is from a nearby town, Kolki, is at her window. He says he will not leave without her. She says he must do something for her. This man, we find out, will be Jonathan’s great-great-great-great-great grandfather.

At this point, there is an imagined scene between Jonathan’s mother and his grandmother. Together, they watch a man land on the moon. The astronaut says that he sees something and looks out towards Trachimbrod.

In a letter, Alex thanks Jonathan for the duplicate photo of Augustine. Jonathan has suggested changes to Alex’s story that would make him look better. He has also apparently suggested, again, that Alex take the dog out of the story or kill her off, but Alex refuses. Alex also asks Jonathan to write more about his grandmother, to make it easier to write about his grandfather. He is worried about Grandfather, who is crying at night. Alex also tells Jonathan more about his home life. His mother doesn't make dinner anymore to get back at his father, and his father goes out every night and comes home very drunk. Alex takes care of Igor and keeps his brother with him at these times. Alex is upset by Jonathan’s telling of Brod's story and all the lies and secrets being kept.

The next morning, Alex and Grandfather are already awake when the alarm goes off because neither of them has slept. Alex goes up to Jonathan’s room to wake him up, and Jonathan tells him that the dog has chewed up his passport and important documents. Alex does not tell him that he let the dog into his room. At breakfast, Alex serves as translator between Jonathan and the server. He tells her that Jonathan is a Jew and then feels badly for doing so. She asks to see Jonathan’s horns, which Jonathan does not believe when Alex tells him.

After breakfast, they wake up Grandfather, who is sleeping in the car, and continue their journey. Jonathan does not know how to get to Trachimbrod, and neither does Grandfather. They both thought the other person would know. They stop at a gas station but no one has heard of Trachimbrod. The man at the gas station draws them a map of the area, and they get back on the road. While traveling, Alex and Jonathan talk about Odessa and falling in love, and Grandfather tells a bit about his family. Alex wants to know more, specifically about what the family did during the war, but he does not ask. They stop again, and Alex has to ask men in a field for directions to Trachimbrod. The men humiliate him, and Alex loses his temper with Jonathan.

Alex asks a number of people about Trachimbrod throughout the day. Nobody has heard of it, but everyone seems angry when he asks. Finally, they stop at an old house. An old woman is there and claims to not recognize the name of the town. Alex shows her Augustine’s photo and asks her repeatedly about Trachimbrod. Finally, she says she has been waiting for them. Alex tells her once again that they are looking for Trachimbrod and she says they have found it.