Tsura is a 19-year-old Romani girl who lives under the false identity Greta Voeske. Tsura’s brother Marko and her cousin Kizzy live under the protection of Professor Duerr, while she lives with Seraph and Wolf (both codenames). While the rest of her family either died in Marzhan or is living there. Marzhan is a ghetto-like encampment that held Romani and Sinti people. Tsura, who was forcefully sterilized when she was younger, is constantly haunted by the memory. She hates the Nazis and wants revenge for what they did to her family. Over the course of the book, she pushes other characters to become better and becomes a leader.

 

     Tsura is always in control; she is rebellious and proud of who she is. Tsura is in control even when she is scared. For example, at the beginning of the book, the book states,“Tsura had never held a gun before and she was already in control” (pg. 2).This shows that even though she is nervous to hold the gun she takes the gun and takes control of it. This experience is also an example of how Tsura is Rebellious is when she sneaks into Marzhan, which was an encampment for Romani and Sinti people, to try and find her aunt and mom. She does this by going into Marzhan when there is a distraction that makes the Nazi guards fearful for their own lives. This action is stated when,”As bombs fell over the city behind her, Tsura ran towards the encampment.” Over the book, the reader begins to see the pride that Tsura has that she is a Romani. The reader knows this because of the various times she mentions getting her people's story told.

 

     Tsura is very important to the story. Think back to the porcelain train that Alex got for Ruth. There were six cars. Tsura was represented as the engine that made it go. Tsura was the person who got the false papers for Marko, Alex, Kizzy, and herself. She helped get all the prisoners from Rosenstrasse out, and a lot more.

Tsura changes throughout the novel by becoming increasingly angry about the events that have happened in the past ten days.  In addition, she was sterilized by the Nazis at a young age, and when she lost Kizzy and hope for Marko, she suffered not just knowing they were in danger, but also knowing she would never be able to help children grow. She loses her family and stops believing in herself because of this.

 

     Tsura’s personality does not necessarily change, but Tsura's anger evolves throughout the novel.  For example, when she finds out her mother and aunt were deported, not only is she mad at the Nazis, but she is also mad at the fact that people are protesting Rosenstrasse but not Marzhan, “The crowd screamed, defiant, at the period Nazi guards. While Marzhan is emptied in silence.” Tsura’s anger for the Nazis continues to grow.  For example, when she saves a woman and her baby from the train tracks, to find out she's a Nazi. She recites to herself how she should not have saved the infant whose parents were Nazis, “I should have let the infant die” (pg 181).

 

     Even though Tsura only gets angrier throughout the book, she is very important to the novel because she is a strong, brave individual who sticks up for what she believes in. She shows that even if a challenge gets in the way, there’s always a way around it.