I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937

I Survived the Hindenburg Disaster, 1937, is a 2016 work of children’s historical fiction by Lauren Tarshis. It is part of the author’s long-running and popular I Survived series, which has appeared on the New York Times bestseller list. Tarshis is known for writing stories that explore the resilience of young people during significant historical events and disasters. Set in May 1937, the novel uses the real-life catastrophe of the German airship Hindenburg as its climax, placing the events against the backdrop of the Nazi Party’s rise to power. The story follows 11-year-old Hugo Ballard as he travels with his family from Germany to the United States aboard the famous zeppelin, a journey that turns into a desperate fight for survival. The book explores themes of Acting Courageously in the Face of Fear, The Protective Power of Family Bonds, and Childhood Innocence as a Moral Compass.

This guide refers to the 2016 Scholastic Inc. edition.

Content Warning: The source material and this guide contain depictions of graphic violence, serious illness, and death.

Plot Summary

The narrative opens on May 6, 1937, with 11-year-old Hugo Ballard caught in the fiery explosion of the Hindenburg airship. The story then flashes back three days to Frankfurt, Germany, where Hugo, his four-year-old sister, Gertie; their parents; and their dog, Panya, prepare to board. The Ballard family is traveling from Kenya, where they had been living temporarily while Hugo’s parents, both science professors, conducted research, to New York City. Gertie is critically ill with malaria, and they hope a new medicine available in New York can save her life. At the airfield, stern German guards conduct strict inspections, and Panya is taken to the cargo hold, which greatly distresses Gertie.

The Ballard family boards the luxurious airship and explores the passenger areas. During takeoff, Hugo meets Marty Singer, a girl his age, and her father, Mr. Singer, who works for the Zeppelin Company. The airship rises silently into the sky, a magical experience that elicits a laugh from Gertie for the first time in months. The next day, the Ballards dine with the Singers and other passengers, including an American woman named Miss Crowther. Gertie entertains herself by comparing the passengers to animals: Miss Crowther looks like an “ostrich” (29) while Mr. Lenz seems like a “nice walrus” (31).

The pleasant atmosphere is interrupted by the arrival of three Nazi officers led by the menacing Colonel Joseph Kohl. Gertie loudly compares Kohl to a “big cobra,” but the colonel is unexpectedly amused. After Kohl leaves, another passenger reveals a rumor that Kohl is on board to hunt for a spy, who has smuggled a top-secret list of Nazi agents in America onto the Hindenburg. Mr. Singer expresses skepticism, arguing that the small, confined airship would be a poor choice for a spy to hide.

The following day, Mr. Singer gives Hugo, his father, and Marty a private tour of the Hindenburg’s inner structure. They see the massive hydrogen gas cells, and Mr. Singer explains that the American government refuses to sell safer, non-flammable helium to Germany due to concerns about Adolf Hitler. During the tour, they hear Panya howling from the restricted cargo area. Shortly after, a crew member urgently summons Hugo’s father, and the tour is cut short by devastating news: Gertie’s fever has spiked to a life-threatening 105 degrees. The ship’s doctor works to stabilize her, and the family’s anxiety deepens when they learn that storms will delay their arrival in America by at least eight hours.

Gertie’s fever eventually breaks, but she remains very weak and whispers that she wants her dog. Determined to comfort his sister, Hugo sneaks out of the passenger area and into the dark, restricted interior of the airship. He makes his way to the rear cargo hold, finds Panya’s cage, and takes the dog. While hiding from approaching footsteps, Hugo witnesses Mr. Singer retrieve a large envelope with a swastika on it from a hidden crate. In that moment, Hugo realizes that Marty’s father is the spy.

Just then, Colonel Kohl and two other Nazi officers appear, having been alerted to someone’s presence in the cargo area. As Mr. Singer quickly climbs a ladder to escape, Hugo creates a diversion by stepping out into the open with Panya. Kohl confronts Hugo at gunpoint, but Hugo explains he was only retrieving his dog for his sick sister. Kohl interrogates the boy but ultimately believes his story and lets him go, unknowingly allowing the real spy to get away. Hugo returns to the cabin with Panya, bringing great comfort to Gertie, and he keeps Mr. Singer’s identity a secret.

On the evening of May 6, the Hindenburg is further delayed by storms but finally approaches the Lakehurst, New Jersey, airfield. As passengers gather in the lounge to watch the landing, Colonel Kohl confronts Mr. Singer and draws his pistol. At that exact moment, a massive explosion occurs in the rear of the airship. The tail of the Hindenburg drops, sending passengers and furniture sliding down the tilted floor as the lounge erupts in flames. Mr. Singer helps Hugo and Marty toward a window he has smashed open, telling them to jump.

Marty jumps and is safely caught by a sailor on the ground. Before Hugo and Mr. Singer can escape, Kohl emerges from the smoke and confronts Mr. Singer again. A flaming metal beam falls from the ceiling, killing Kohl instantly. Hugo and Mr. Singer then jump from the window as the airship collapses around them. On the ground, Hugo is struck by falling debris and engulfed in flames before losing consciousness. He and Mr. Singer are saved when a large water ballast tank bursts, dousing the fire long enough for ground crew members to pull them from the wreckage.

Six weeks later, Hugo is recovering from severe burns in a New Jersey hospital. He learns that 36 people died in the crash but that his entire family survived, his mother with a broken wrist and his father having narrowly escaped after searching for him in the flames. He also learns that Mr. Singer, now publicly hailed as a hero named Peter Singer, is recovering and that the secret documents he carried were successfully recovered, leading to the arrest of all the Nazi spies on the list. Hugo is finally discharged and reunited with his family. Gertie is completely healthy, having responded successfully to the treatment in New York. Though traumatized, Hugo acknowledges that the tragic journey on the Hindenburg was ultimately what saved his sister’s life.