The story of White Bird is set in the context of World War II and the Holocaust, history of which is common knowledge to most. Adolf Hitler, an Austrian-born German politician, rose to power as the dictator of Germany in 1933 and served in this position until his death in 1945 and the conclusion of the war. Hitler was the leader of the Nazi party, whose racist ideology included the persecution and systemic genocide of six million Jews, as well as millions of other targeted victims, over the course of the war. This genocide is what came to be termed as the Holocaust.

While the story of Sara and Julien is a fictional one, it is based on real experiences of Jews during this time, and actual historical events find mention throughout the book. France surrendered to Germany in 1940. Following their defeat in the Battle of France, the country signed an armistice on June 14. This was done in the same place that Germany signed an armistice in 1918 following World War I, and was Hitler’s way of avenging his country’s humiliation in the first war. Following this armistice, “Vichy France” came into being—the French State headed by Marshal Philippe Pétain, which was headquartered in the French town of Vichy, and was sympathetic to the Nazi cause.