Leaflets fall, warning people to leave the city and go to the countryside.
American bombers approach a walled city on the coast.
Marie-Laure LeBlanc, a blind 16-year-old, prepares her room with water. She explores a miniature model of the city and hears airplanes.
A German boy named Werner heads to the basement of the Hotel of Bees as anti-aircraft guns fire from the hotel's balcony.
The walled town of Saint-Malo is under German control. Citizens and Germans seek shelter.
Marie-Laure remains in her house, opening a puzzle box model of her home, finding a stone inside.
Werner tunes a radio transceiver in the basement with others. He recalls his sister, Jutta.
American bombers drop bombs on the city. Etienne LeBlanc sees them from a prison. Marie-Laure hides under her bed. The Hotel of Bees' cellar goes dark. An explosion rocks the city.
Six-year-old Marie-Laure explores the Natural History Museum with other children. The tour guide narrates a tale about the Sea of Flames, a precious jewel that brings immortality but also tragedy to its owner. Marie-Laure is unimpressed by the story. A month later, she becomes blind.
Seven-year-old Werner Pfennig grows up in Zollverein, a coal-mining town. He and his sister Jutta, orphans, live in the Children's House with Frau Elena. Werner is intelligent and builds useful things from junk. He and Jutta are close.
Marie-Laure loses her sight due to congenital cataracts. Her father teaches her to navigate her surroundings and takes her to work at the museum. He helps her learn Braille and gathers experts to educate her about the natural world.
Werner repairs a radio he found and brings music and knowledge to
the orphanage. Jutta and other children listen to it. Werner's curiosity leads him to understand how things work.
Marie-Laure's father makes wooden puzzle boxes for her birthday. He creates a miniature model of their neighborhood to help her learn to navigate. Marie-Laure struggles to walk home.
Werner disassembles and reassembles the radio, adding a loudspeaker. The children listen to educational broadcasts and government-sponsored stories. Germany becomes more prosperous, and they hear stories of invaders being stopped.
Marie-Laure gradually learns to navigate the world as a blind person. Sheand her father celebrate her progress, enjoying the moment in the snow.
In spring, 10-year-old Werner observes two older boys joining the Hitler Youth, becoming arrogant and nationalist. They mock foreign things, destroy Jutta's drawings, and become bullies. Werner remains inconspicuous, reading science magazines and sketching inventions.
Marie-Laure navigates her world by counting paces between landmarks and senses the environment through smells and sounds. She experiences colors and light in her world, even associating music with colors. She interacts with experts at the museum and reads "Around the World in Eighty Days."
Jutta and Werner construct a radio antenna and secretly listen to broadcasts. They discover a French scientist's lectures about the brain, earth's history, and more. They are fascinated by the knowledge and imagine possibilities.
Rumors circulate about the Sea of Flames, a precious jewel with curses. Marie-Laure receives "The Three Musketeers" for her 10th birthday. Her father begins a secret project at the museum, and as employees blame misfortunes on the diamond, he dismisses curses as superstitions.
Werner and Jutta listen to broadcasts by a Frenchman every night. They learn about magnetism and light, inspiring them to imagine a world of possibilities. Werner envisions a future as an engineer or scientist.
Marie-Laure's father resumes his regular routine, and she receives "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and a puzzle box for her 11th birthday. She escapes into the book's world.
Werner and other orphans hope for adoption by a junior government minister and his wife. Werner reads "The Principles of Mechanics" during dinner, but the minister takes it away. Jutta defends Werner's intelligence, but the minister dismisses Werner's potential, stating he'll work in the mines.
Paris is abuzz with rumors of an impending German invasion. Marie-Laure's father dismisses her fears, and she immerses herself in reading "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" and discussing shells with Professor Geffard. She senses a growing tension in the air.
State Youth membership becomes mandatory, promoting nationalistic loyalty. Werner dedicates himself to fixing radios and honing his mathematical skills. Radios become ubiquitous, broadcasting the voice of the Reich to all households.
Rumors of war circulate, and Marie-Laure's anxiety grows despite her father's assurances. She faces taunts from boys about Germanskidnapping her. Jutta writes a letter to a French professor whose broadcasts they've secretly listened to, seeking answers for the broadcasts' absence.
Werner's 14th birthday comes with apprehension as he faces an uncertain future. The war's mechanization dampens his scientific aspirations.
As the war becomes certain in France, Marie-Laure's father secures the museum's valuables while Marie-Laure turns 12 and receives the second half of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." Paris prepares for German occupation.
Jutta wakes Werner to news of German bombings in Paris, signaling the war's escalation.
Marie-Laure and her father join the chaotic exodus from Paris, hoping to escape the German invasion. They wait in a train station for transportation.
Werner fixes a radio for a wealthy family, hiding his illegal radio. Impressed by Werner's intelligence, Herr Siedler offers to write a letter for Werner's education.
Marie-Laure and her father leave Paris on foot, heading for a friend's house. Her father carries a potentially real Sea of Flames diamond. As they sleep in a field, bombs fall over Paris, marking the war's impact.
Bombs ignite a firestorm within Saint-Malo. Flames surge 300 feet into the sky, engulfing parts of the city, including the Hotel of Bees.
Amid the bombing chaos, Marie-Laure seeks refuge under her bed, clutching the blue diamond and the little wooden house. The bombardment's deafening noise surrounds her, while the smell of fire and smoke fills the air.
Werner is thrown by an explosion, losing his hearing. He attempts to regain his senses to check on the radio and his fellow basement occupants: engineer Walter Bernd and Frank Volkheimer.
Marie-Laure places the blue diamond back inside the wooden puzzle house and carries the house in her pocket. She descends six flights of stairs, finds bread in the kitchen, and brings it along to the cellar.
Frank Volkheimer uses a flashlight to illuminate the basement. The stairwell has vanished, and the ceiling is lower, but the main beams remain intact. Volkheimer uncovers the screaming Bernd, while Werner's pleas go unheard due to his deafness. Volkheimer informs Werner that there's no alternate way out.
Marie-Laure and her father journey to the museum director's friend's home in Evereux after twodays of walking, only to find it ablaze and looted. The owner, having fled to London, entrusts Daniel LeBlanc with the diamond's responsibility. They sleep in a nearby barn and decide to head to Saint-Malo.
Werner travels to Essen for the entrance exam of the National Political Institutes of Education. Amid boys mostly larger and blond, Werner's white-blond hair makes him stand out. The boys undergo physical and academic tests for eight days. One daunting task involves climbing a ladder and jumping into a flag held by others. Despite his physical shortcomings, Werner bravely jumps.
A truck aids Daniel, Marie-Laure, and other refugees on their journey towards Saint-Malo. They complete the journey on foot, with Daniel carrying Marie-Laure at times. He assures her that the sound of the ocean is present, not an approaching army. Finally, they reach her uncle's home within the ancient walled city by the sea.
The housekeeper, Madame Manec, welcomes them, provides food, and
engages in conversation with Daniel. Marie-Laure falls asleep at the table during their talk.
Werner receives acceptance to Schulpforta, the national school, with two weeks until he's to report. The neighborhood celebrates, but Jutta remains distant and won't speak to him.
Safe with Madame Manec at her great-uncle's house in Saint-Malo, Marie-Laure wakes to the sound of the ocean. Madame Manec explains that her great-uncle, Etienne, was changed by World War I, often confined to his room due to war-induced visions. The radio broadcasts focus on finding lost loved ones. Marie-Laure and her father share a room on the sixth floor.
Werner's impending departure to Schulpforta draws near. Jutta avoids him, but on his last day, he convinces her to go for a walk. She warns him of the Nazi school's potential atrocities and emphasizes the importance of not following the crowd. Werner, fearing the mines, tries to paint a positive future, even offering a trip to Paris, but Jutta dismisses his optimism.
On her fourth day at the house, Marie-Laure follows a trail of sea shells to her uncle Etienne's room on the fifth floor. He introduces her to his radios, built by him, and reads to her from Darwin's "The Voyage of the Beagle." His room is a treasure trove of electronics, shells, and books. Marie-Laure finds him rational and comforting. Meanwhile, Marie-Laure's father witnesses theGermans' arrival in the village, marked by the hoisting of the Nazi flag.
Werner's school, a castle-like building, is home to around four hundred boys aged 9 to 17. All have blue eyes, and they're required to relinquish personal possessions, dedicating themselves solely to the service of their country. Werner resides in a dormitory with seven other 14-year-olds. He befriends Frederick, an expert in birds, and they both embrace the school's ethos of patriotic sacrifice.
Sergeant Major Reinhardt von Rumpel, traveling through German-occupied Europe, confiscates valuable artifacts for the Reich. In Vienna, he learns about the Sea of Flames, a blue diamond with a red center, and becomes determined to find it. He experiences discomfort in his groin.
Occupied Saint-Malo faces restrictions: music, dances, and meetings are banned, and a curfew is imposed. Madame Manec provides Marie-Laure with treats and meals, while Etienne alternates between reading and suffering from headaches. Marie-Laure and her father plan to leave once they hear from the Paris museum director, but weeks pass with no word.
Werner's science instructor, Dr. Hauptmann, assigns the boys a circuit construction task. Werner excels and is selected to work in the professor's lab, aided by Frank Volkheimer.
The Germans demand citizens turn in firearms or face execution. Marie-Laure and Etienne escape reality by imagining journeys on Etienne's couch to places like Mozambique, Scotland, and New York City.
Werner is summoned to Dr. Hauptmann's office, where he
demonstrates his skill in solving a trigonometry problem. Dr. Hauptmann assigns him to work in the professor's lab, with Volkheimer as his protector.
Marie-Laure comforts Etienne during a panic attack by discussing her grandfather's room and the attic. She discovers a gramophone and a powerful radio in the attic, used by Henri, her grandfather, and Etienne to record science lessons before Henri's death in the war.
Three letters from Werner to his sister, Jutta, revealing his work, friendship with Frederick, and protection from Volkheimer.
In occupied Saint-Malo, the perfumer Big Claude exploits the situation, buying meat from local farmers and selling it in Paris. Observing Daniel LeBlanc's actions, he suspects Daniel has valuable information for the Germans.
Marie-Laure remains confined to the house while her father works on a model of the town for her. Desiring to go outside and see the ocean, Marie-Laure's pleas gounanswered.
Bastian, the field commandant at Schulpforta, tests the boys by having them identify the weakest among them. The weakest boy is given a head-start to run across a field, with the others chasing him. If he reaches safety, he's spared; otherwise, the mob catches him. Despite being terrified due to his small size, Werner isn't chosen. Another boy narrowly escapes the mob.
Occupied France's citizens must surrender their radios. Daniel spends
hours collecting and surrendering radios from the house. The radio hidden in the attic remains undisclosed.
Sergeant Major von Rumpel arrives at the Paris Natural History Museum, pressuring the assistant director and mineralogist to reveal the location of the Sea of Flames. He's shown the diamond inside an ingenious box. His discomfort in his groin continues.
Amid blackout restrictions, those who violate them are interrogated, yet the Nazi-occupied hotel remains well-lit. Etienne and Marie-Laure move a large wardrobe to conceal the attic entrance.
Boys start leaving the school, including the previously identified weakest boy and two others. Werner focuses on tasks in the professor's laboratory, distancing himself emotionally. He worries about Frederick, who detests boys killing birds for sport. Werner helps Frederick with chores and worries about him.
Daniel receives a telegram, instructing him to return to Paris securely by the end of the month.
Daniel completes a detailed model of Saint-Malo, including the city's walls and buildings. He spends his last night before departure caring for Marie-Laure, assuring her he will return within 10 days.
Frederick is identified as the weakest boy. In the race for safety, he loses and is brutally beaten by the boy who labeled him weak. Although Werner wants to help, he only assists Frederick once the beating ends.
Daniel is arrested on his way to Paris. He's accused of suspicious activities related to his keys and tools, including an alleged plot to blow up the Chateau de Saint-Malo. No one from the museum offers assistance. Daniel is taken with other prisoners in a truck headed to Germany.
Von Rumpel climbs a ladder to observe the burning city of Saint-Malo in the distance. Swollen lymph nodes in his neck cause him pain and discomfort. He notices that Number 4 rue Vauborel remains standing and decides to wait until the smoke clearsbefore approaching.
Werner and the two other trapped men continue to survive in the basement of the Hotel of Bees. Werner reflects on their situation, imagining that their survival might be linked to some form of reparations they need to make before death.
Marie-Laure envisions her great-uncle making his way towards her. She discovers two cans of food, the remaining sustenance apart from her half-loaf of bread.
Sergeant Major von Rumpel navigates through the smoldering ruins of Saint-Malo until he reaches the front door of the LeBlanc house.
In darkness, Werner, Volkheimer, and the badly injured engineer Bernd
take stock of their survival supplies: three rations, two partially-filled water canteens, hand grenades, and five bullets for Volkheimer's gun. The radio is irreparably damaged. Werner waits in the dark with the anticipation of death.
Marie-Laure emerges from the cellar to attend to her basic needs and access water. While preparing to open a can of food, she hears someone entering the house.
During their school break, Werner visits Berlin with Frederick. Frederick's family is affluent, and despite Werner's guilt, Frederick treats him as usual. They are welcomed into the apartment by the maid, Fanni. Frederick reveals that he wears eyeglasses, explaining his poor marksmanship. He shares his treasures, including comic books and the forbidden American book "Audubon's Birds of America." Frederick's mother parades them in their uniforms, expressing hope for the departure of the Jewish woman living in their penthouse.
As days pass without her father's return, Marie-Laure's anger grows, leading her to withdraw from others. After 20 days, she loses hope.
On a winter night, Werner and other boys are awakened and taken to a courtyard where a prisoner is bound to a stake. The boys must douse the prisoner with cold water. Werner grapples with the trapped roles they're forced into. Frederick refuses to partake, pouring his water on the ground.
Madame Manec takes Marie-Laure to the beach despite Etienne's objections. The beach captivates Marie-Laure, even on a rainy day. She collects shells and enjoys the wondrous ocean.
Von Rumpel questions a prisoner named Dupont, a lapidary believed to have made the fake Sea of Flames. He seeks information about the fakes and hopes for names. A letter from Marie-Laure'sfather in a prison camp assures her he is fine and always with her.
The dead prisoner's body remains in the courtyard for a week. Frederick, identified as the weakest, endures three beatings in nine days but won't leave the school, leading to ongoing bullying. Werner feels guilty but takes no action.
Madame Manec takes Marie-Laure to the beach daily and then visits the town to help the needy. She's energetic and resourceful, feeding those in need. Marie-Laure listens to tales from Hubert Bazin about the city's history. In March, Etienne turns 60.
Werner, Volkheimer, and Dr. Hauptmann successfully practice using the transceiver device outdoors, calculating unknown points from known ones, earning Werner praise from Hauptmann.
Nine old women gather in Madame's kitchen, discussing resistance to the occupation while making jokes. After Madame challenges them to take action, six women agree. Marie-Laure ponders who will show bravery and who will succumb to the invaders.
Werner continues working with Hauptmann on locating transceivers. He urges Frederick to leave due to increased bullying, but Frederick announces their friendship's end to the dormitory.
The old ladies engage in acts of defiance, like placing dog feces on German doorsteps and altering road signs. Madame Manec, 76, feels rejuvenated.
Von Rumpel seeks the Sea of Flames, having learned of three copies. He consults a doctor, disregarding his condition. He seeks the remaining diamonds.
Frederick disappears after a beating, sent for surgery. Werner receives another letter from Daniel, saying he's safe and helping build a road.
Hubert Bazin reveals a secret grotto beneath the city walls, where he played with the LeBlanc boys. The grotto was once a kennel. Bazin gives Marie-Laure the key.
Werner dreams of Frederick, who sustained serious injuries. No one is held accountable.
Madame Manec meets René, aiding the resistance by noting German vehicle and ship license plates. They create pseudonyms, with
Marie-Laure choosing "whelk."
Marie-Laure challenges Etienne to help the resistance; he refuses, fearing trouble. Marie-Laure asserts doing nothing equals collaboration.
Werner requests to leave but is denied by Hauptmann, ending his special treatment.
Hubert Bazin vanishes, suspected of aiding the resistance. The women hesitate but Madame Manec encourages their resolve.
Conditions deteriorateat school. Discipline wanes, boys receive news of their fathers' deaths, and Werner faces disillusionment.
French policemen search the house, warning of Daniel's arrest. Etienne forbids Marie-Laure's involvement and the secret errands.
Madame Manec's resistance continues, creating tension with Etienne. She likens their situation to a frog in boiling water.
Werner is sent to the army front lines due to Hauptmann's interference.
Madame Manec falls ill with pneumonia, and Etienne cares for her.
Von Rumpel endures treatment for cancer while pursuing the Sea of Flames.
Madame Manec appears to recover. She and Marie-Laure enjoy a sunny afternoon.
Werner visits Frederick before going to the front. Frederick's condition is deteriorating.
In late June 1942, Madame Manec suffers a relapse and dies.
Marie-Laure becomes aware of someone moving downstairs. It's the German sergeant major from before, who had encountered her in the grotto. She gathers her belongings, including the small house model, cans of food, a knife, a brick, and her cane, and retreats to the attic accessible behind the wardrobe.
Engineer Walter Bernd dies, and Volkheimer buries him beneath rubble. Werner tries to fix the radio receiver, ignoring his dire circumstances.
Von Rumpel discovers the model of Saint-Malo in Marie-Laure's room, believing the stone might be hidden inside it.
Using scavenged parts, Werner constructs a radio, and finally hears static, a sign of progress.
Marie-Laure senses the German officer's presence leaving her room. Imagining his threat, she goes into the attic, laying a coat to muffle her footsteps. She realizes he's still in the house and won't leave.
Neumann Two arrives at the school to take Werner to his new position in the Wehrmacht. During the journey, Werner witnesses prisoners in train cars, using the bodies of the deceased as shields against the wind.
After Madame's death, Etienne isolates himself for a few days. When he reemerges, he sets up a way for Marie-Laure to secretly access the attic through the wardrobe. He asks her about Madame's methods of receiving and transmitting information, and she agrees to continue this work.
Werner and Neumann Two reach their duty station in Russia. Werner rejoins Frank Volkheimer and repairs the equipment, preparing to locate enemy radiopositions.
Etienne enhances security in the house, adding warning bells. Marie-Laure retrieves the bread with hidden messages. At night, they secretly ascend to the attic to broadcast the messages, and Etienne reflects on the metaphor of the boiling frog.
Werner tries to locate partisan radio transmissions. His unit includes Volkheimer, the engineer Walter Bernd, and Neumann Two. He searches for enemy signals to aid German supply trains.
Etienne transmits coded numbers through the radio, while Marie-Laure listens. He plays music, and they dance, finding a personal meaning in the code.
Werner detects a partisan radio transmission, leading his unit to eliminate the partisans. He discovers their rudimentary equipment, reminiscent of his first radio. They burn the building and bodies afterward.
Von Rumpel is called to grade stolen jewelry from concentration camps.
Marie-Laure continues retrieving messages from loaves of bread, often visiting the grotto on her way home.
In January 1943, Werner finds multiple transmissions, promising rewards from his superiors. Volkheimer takes clothing from Russian
prisoners to replace his own worn attire.
Etienne broadcasts messages, with some taking longer than usual. He is aware of the growing danger of discovery.
Von Rumpel retrieves the second replica diamond from a thief who had stolen it from a generous donor of the Natural History Museum. He's making progress in finding the fake diamonds.
In December 1943, Marie-Laure and Etienne persist with their secretive radio work despite the authorities' orders for evacuation. Etienne remains determined to stay in Saint-Malo to continue his radio transmissions.
As 1944 begins, Werner falls ill with fever and diarrhea. The German army is retreating, and he often dreams about his sister, though he hasn't contacted her in a year.
Von Rumpel's obsession to locate the Sea of Flames intensifies due to his illness. He discovers a third replica diamond at a château north of Paris, wondering about the identity of the third courier who was entrusted with the stone.
Amid escalating German reprisals for their losses, Etienne continues his radio work. He tries to convey to Marie-Laure the human cost of war and the significance of the numbers he transmits.
Von Rumpel enters the apartment of the locksmith and discovers the model town. He crushes a model of a house within it, recognizing its potential as ahiding place.
In April 1944, Werner's unit enters Vienna. He believes he's pinpointed a transmission source in an apartment, but when they enter, they find no radio. Neumann Two, frightened, tragically shoots and kills a woman and her daughter hiding in a closet.
Marie-Laure receives a gift of "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea" in two parts for her 16th birthday. She begins reading it aloud to Etienne, resuming the book she had to abandon four years ago.
A new commander sends a telegram requesting help in locating a partisan radio broadcaster in the vicinity of Saint-Malo.
During the ongoing shelling of Saint-Malo, an American shell inadvertently strikes Fort National, where 380 French prisoners are held against their will. The impact kills nine prisoners instantly.
Marie-Laure, disoriented and starving in the attic, hears the German officer moving about below. He has been using her bed. Thirsty and hallucinating, she imagines a conversation with her father, who advises
her to stay silent. As the American shelling resumes, she uses the noise as cover to open a can of green beans and consumes them.
Werner and Volkheimer navigate through debris, attempting to adjust the radio antenna for proper reception. Despite the desperate situation, Volkheimer warns against using grenades to clear the stairwell. They calculate their remaining battery power, realizing they have only about a day's worth of light and radio. Food and water have run out.
Von Rumpel, under the influence of morphine, struggles to recall the whereabouts of the little house. He concludes that Etienne did not have it when he was arrested and taken to Fort National. He plans to search the house again.
Marie-Laure's thirst becomes unbearable. She ventures out of the attic, recalling memories of her grandfather and Etienne. She finds buckets of water near her room, drinks, and fills a can with water. She takes her novel and returns to the attic, listening to the German officer searching below.
Werner and Volkheimer share memories of their respective origins: the Prussian forests and the coal country. Werner yearns for those simpler times, wishing he could be a child again, engrossed in his radio.
Marie-Laure, in the attic, switches on the radio and raises the antenna. She begins reading "Twenty Thousand Leagues Underthe Sea" into the microphone.
On his fourth basement day, Werner hears a young girl reading in French through his radio. Uncertain if he's hallucinating, he's comforted by the illusion. The girl suddenly senses someone beneath her and the transmission ends. Werner wants to help her, but his own dire condition leaves him powerless.
Werner's hallucinations intensify as he envisions the deceased red-haired girl they encountered on their journey toward Saint-Malo. Upon reaching the ocean, Werner disregards the danger of mines and barbed wire and climbs over the sea wall to walk on the beach. In his disoriented state, he begins to question his own reality.
Von Rumpel, with a prognosis of three or four months to live, receives a call during a lavish dinner party. The conversation revolves around the retreating German forces. His French informant reveals information about Daniel LeBlanc, the locksmith, and his connection to Saint-Malo. Von Rumpel believes he has identified the last courier of the diamond.
As May draws to a close, rumors circulate among the resistance that the Allied forces will arrive within a week. Marie-Laure spends time in the grotto with her snails, longing for her father's return.
Werner and his team tirelessly search for the radio transceiver, but their efforts prove futile. Werner is haunted by the vision of the dead red-haired girl who seems to be pursuing him within the Hotel of Bees.
Werner finally detects the location of the partisan broadcast and recognizes the voice of the Frenchman, a voice he and Jutta listened to during their childhood. When the broadcast concludes with "Claire de Lune," Werner becomes certain of the identity. However, he's equally certain that he cannot report the Frenchman's position.
Werner confirms the broadcast location at Number 4 rue Vauborel and discovers the antenna. Aware of his treacherous act, he chooses to keep his discovery silent.
Big Claude, the perfumer, discloses the LeBlancs' residence to von Rumpel.
Standing outside Number 4 rue Varbourel, Werner contemplates knocking on the door. A young girl emerges, captivating him with her elegance. He watches her walk away, struck by her presence, while she remains oblivious to him.
Marie-Laure collects her loaf of bread and makes her way to the grotto. However, she's startled by the voice of a German soldier whoapproaches and inquires about her father. Alarmed, she locks herself inside the grotto, hoping the soldier will leave.
When Marie-Laure doesn't return as expected, Etienne grows concerned and steps outside for the first time in years to search for her. His agoraphobia distorts his perception, but he is determined to find her.
The German soldier questions Marie-Laure through the gate. She searches the loaf and consumes the incriminating paper. He asks about any possessions her father might have left or taken from Paris for the museum. Marie-Laure responds that her father left her only the model and a broken promise.
Etienne reaches the bakery and, with the help of Madame Ruelle, locates Marie-Laure. Despite his agoraphobia's effects, he rescues her from the grotto.
Werner contemplates the girl as the war grows more desperate. Neumann One and Neumann Two are needed at the front lines. Volkheimer informs Werner that they'll eventually be thrown into battle, but Werner intends to feign ignorance when the Frenchman broadcasts his message.
Etienne takes over retrieving the bread to protect Marie-Laure. She reflects on the German soldier's words and understands the clues in her father's letter. Opening the puzzle in Etienne's model house, she finds a stone.
Madame Ruelle tells Etienne about the need for accurate coordinates for American gunners. Liberation is imminent, and precise coordinates can save lives. The Germans plan to detain French men at Fort National during the approaching battle, prompting Etienne to act swiftly.
Marie-Laure debates the stone's authenticity, realizing it's the one the German soldier seeks. She's tempted to dispose of it or confide in her great-uncle.
As Etienne heads toward the ramparts, he encounters a limping German soldier.
Marie-Laure wakes to the sound of gunfire, but Etienne hasn't returned. She decides to wait and read "Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea." Big Claude visits and encourages her to leave, but she refuses.
The Americans have the Germans trapped by the sea. Leaflets urge residents to evacuate the city for safety.
Werner shares the French girl's reading with Volkheimer. He admits finding their transceiver but that the supposed terrorists are an old man and the girl. Volkheimer remains silent as Werner listens to her reading.
Etienne seeks help for Marie-Laure, but the chaosprevents any assistance. When the fort is attacked, Etienne takes cover, waiting for the ordeal to pass.
Marie-Laure considers surrendering the jewel, but she decides to finish reading before making a decision.
Von Rumpel realizes he might have been mistaken about the gem's location. He interacts with a German soldier and learns that their forces are retreating from the city.
The girl finishes reading, and the broadcast ends. Werner waits in the dark with Volkheimer nearby.
Marie-Laure prepares to play music on the gramophone, ready to face the German soldier. She starts broadcasting music.
Volkheimer hears the music through the headphones and wakes Werner. Recognizing "Claire de Lune," Volkheimer builds a barricade and throws a grenade.
Von Rumpel dreams of his daughter Veronika. He wakes up to a man speaking about coal in French.
Werner and Volkheimer recover from the grenade's effects. They climb out, with Volkheimer giving Werner a gun. Werner hopes to use his training to save the girl.
Von Rumpel, disoriented, enters the house and hears a bell. He stumbles, dropping a candle that rolls toward curtains.
Werner ascends to the sixth floor. In a bedroom with a model of the city, he encounters von Rumpel, who assumes Werner is after the diamond and aims his pistol. Werner reaches for Volkheimer's rifle.
As a gunshot and curtain fire hissing sound, the narrative captures various simultaneous thoughts and actions across the war zone. Etienne LeBlanc envisions a post-war trip with Marie-Laure; von Rumpel's wife thinks about a neighbor. This moment binds all characters together. Werner speaks to the wardrobe in French, asking if someone is there.
Marie-Laure emerges from the room, and Werner extends his hand to help her.
Amid shelling, Werner plans to assist Marie-Laure in leaving Saint-Malo during a cease-fire. They share conversation and the last of Marie-Laure's food, miraculously her favorite, Madame Manec's peaches.
Conversation continues; they discuss Captain Nemo's fate and examine a copy of Audubon's Birds of America. Werner asks for a page. Werner envisions a future with Marie-Laure, considering how Germany and France will change. Marie-Laure asks about von Rumpel's purpose, and Werner ponders if it's related to the transmitter. They fall asleep.
Werner guides Marie-Laure through Saint-Malo, her cane and white pillowcasemarking her as non-combatant. At the grotto, she places a little house in the water and asks Werner to ensure it's in the ocean.
After saying farewell, she presses a key into his hand, leaving him puzzled.
Marie-Laure finds refuge with Madame Ruelle. The next day, Madame Ruelle locates Etienne when Fort National's prisoners are freed. The siege ends, and Marie-Laure and Etienne plan to go to Paris.
Werner is captured and dons civilian clothing over his uniform. Weak and malnourished, he's taken to a field hospital. Holding an imaginary conversation with Jutta, he walks into the moonlight and is killed by a German land mine.
In January 1945, Jutta and a small group of girls from the Children's House are transported to Berlin along with Frau Elena to work in a machine-parts factory. The city faces nightly bombings, and the crumbling Reich is marked by chaos - halted mail, street executions of young deserters, and child fatalities from falling bombs. Jutta and the women labor to clear rubble and debris from the bombings.
Jutta receives the devastating news of Werner's death. As the Russian army advances on Berlin, the women anticipate the horrors they might face from the approaching soldiers. Eventually, they are subjected to the assault of three Russian soldiers in the factory. While being assaulted, Jutta hears one officer reciting a list of names, which she assumes are those of fallen soldiers.
Etienne rents the apartment where Marie-Laure grew up, clinging to the hope of her father's return. They frequent the train station and newspapers, searching for any news of him. Dr. Geffard, the mollusk
expert, joins them in their wait. Despite efforts from the museum staff to locate Marie-Laure's father, he remains missing. Their support continues, both financially and in providing shelter and education for Marie-Laure. The summer passes in anticipation, but her father doesn't return. As fall arrives, Marie-Laure expresses her desire to attend school.
Frank Volkheimer, age 51, lives in the outskirts of a city in West Germany, where he works installing and repairing television antennas. He lives alone; he has never married or had children.
A package arrives for him containing three photographs: a soldier's canvas knapsack, a child's notebook with the initials W.P. in the corner, and a small wooden house. The authorities hope that Volkheimer can help them identify these belongings so that theycan be returned to the soldier's family. Volkheimer immediately knows whose belongings these are.
Jutta Wette, now married with a 6-year-old son named Max, teaches high-school algebra. Her husband, Albert, is kind and patient, with a passion for running his electric train set in the basement.
Volkheimer arrives to return Werner's belongings to Jutta. She never allows herself to think about the war, particularly the end of the war, nor about Werner. She does not believe that anything can be healed. Volkheimer explains that he was with Werner in school and in the field and that the last place they were together was in Saint-Malo, France.
Volkheimer is kind to Max and teaches him how to make a paper airplane that flies.
Jutta cannot bear to look in the duffel, but eventually that night, after Max is in bed and Volkheimer has gone, she does. She finds the
notebook that she sent to Werner, filled with plans for inventions and questions he longs to answer. Inside the notebook, she also finds a letter addressed to Frederick. She remembers Frederick was Werner's friend from school.
Jutta takes Max to Saint-Malo during their summer vacation. Though Jutta is afraid that people will be mean to her in France, because she is German, no one says anything to her about her accent or about Max speaking German.
They arrive in Saint-Malo and go to the sea. They visit all the tourist attractions. Eventually, Jutta takes the model house to one of the curators of the war museum. He takes her right to the front door of Number 4 rue Vauborel. He tells her that the LeBlanc family lived there during the war. When asked about a girl, the man replies that a blind girl lived there until just after the war ended. He finds her address for Jutta. Max discovers that the house is really a puzzle.
Marie-Laure LeBlancis a professor in the Natural History Museum in Paris, where she manages a small laboratory. She studies mollusks. She has a daughter, Hélène, who is 19 years old. Hélène's father is a Canadian named John. Though they never married, Marie-Laure and John remain friendly, and the three of them eat dinner together every Friday.
Her assistant comes in one evening in July. A woman with white blond hair and a little boy have gotten her address from Brittany; they want to seeher about a model house.
Jutta introduces herself and Max to Marie-Laure. Marie-Laure's assistant gives Max a tour of the museum. Jutta gives Marie-Laure the model house and Marie-Laure explains that her father made the house; she wonders whether Werner opened it. Mentally, she lists the three times that Werner saved her life: by not exposing Etienne, by saving her from von Rumpel, and by helping her escape the city. Jutta tells her that
Werner is dead.
Marie-Laure explains that she and Werner talked about Jutta and Werner listening to the recordings made by her great-uncle as children. She offers to send Jutta the last remaining record, about the light of the moon. Jutta leaves the model house with Marie-Laure.
Max and his mother return to their hotel room, where Max excitedly recounts his museum visit to her. As he speaks, he folds a paper airplane in his hands, describing the various exhibits and displays he saw. Meanwhile, Jutta uses the telephone to call her husband.
Summoning her courage, Marie-Laure finally decides to open the little puzzle house. As she does, the iron key to the grotto falls into her hand, revealing its hidden location.
In the grotto, the legendary Sea of Flames diamond is revealed, covered in barnacles and algae from its long concealment.
Frederick and his mother live in a typical apartment within a block of apartment houses. Their view overlooks a grocery store parking lot with a few trees. Frederick spends his days drawing endless spirals. Eventually, a letter arrives for Frederick, forwarded through various offices, containing two bird prints. Frederick's mother recalls his interest in birds and bird books, as well as his friendship with Werner. Frederick, seemingly detached, pays little attention to the bird prints.
Sitting outside on their patio in the darkness, an owl lands nearby and gazes at them. Frederick momentarily engages with the world around him, asking his mother what they are doing.
At 86 years old, Marie-Laure is accompanied by her nearly 12-year-old grandson, Michel, as they make their way to a gazebo located atop a nearby park. Reflecting on the changes she has witnessed in the world, Marie-Laure contemplates the profound impact of electronic communication on people's lives. She draws a parallel between the invisible electronic messages that shape the modern world and the notion of lost souls, imagining that thesouls of the departed persist, much like these digital messages, always present though often unheard. In this moment of contemplation, Marie-Laure recognizes the inevitable loss of loved ones, but also finds solace in the idea that their presence endures in the currents of life.