The Shortest Chapter Ever
Ah! La Rabbia Mi Divora from La Scuola De' Gelosi by Salieri
Ilse and Jelfriede have arrived in Switzerland and far from being the dream world of cuckoo-clocks and Emmental, conditions are harsh. Researching this part of the novel was really interesting, as I had no idea that most people fleeing Austria were put in refugee camps rather than being welcomed with open arms and a cheese-fondue. This chapter is a bit sketchy at the moment for several reasons:
(a) I have no idea what life in these camps was like. They’re refugees not prisoners, but how would they have been treated? I need to do a lot more research, which I don’t have time to do at the moment, otherwise I won’t hit my wordcount target.
(b) The camera needs to play a role in life in the camp. Realistically, I’m assuming that it might have been confiscated or that Ilse had to sell it to survive or swap it for food. I need her to hold on to this camera as it is going to be an important signpost later in the plot.
I fear in the first draft that this chapter may consist of just a few words: Ilse spent the war in a refugee camp – details to follow.
