Character Relationship Map: Where Hands Touch

Characters

• Leyna (played by Amandla Stenberg) — protagonist

  Leyna is a sixteen-year-old girl of mixed African and white heritage struggling to survive Nazi persecution. Expelled from school and sent to work in a factory, she secretly falls in love with Lutz, b...

• Lutz (played by George MacKay) — protagonist

  Lutz is a Hitler Youth member and the son of a high-ranking SS officer. After accidentally injuring Leyna, he develops feelings for her despite the regime's hatred of her heritage. He secretly protect...

• Kerstin (played by Abbie Cornish) — supporting

  Kerstin is Leyna's white mother and Koen's mother, living under constant threat because of her relationship with an African man and her daughter's heritage. She moves the family to escape the Gestapo,...

• Koen (played by Tom Sweet) — supporting

  Koen is Leyna's younger half-brother. Although Kerstin tries to guide him, he is forced to join the Hitler Youth and begins accepting Nazi beliefs, leading him to discriminate against Leyna. After sol...

• American Soldier (played by Tomiwa Edun) — minor
• SS Officer (played by Ciarán Owens) — minor

Canonical Relationships

Family, romantic, and professional connections based on plot evidence.

• Lutz → SS Officer (Family Son) — Lutz's family identity places him inside the Nazi hierarchy.

  Lutz is described as the son of a high-ranking SS officer.

• Lutz → Leyna (Romantic Lover) — Their forbidden love drives the central emotional storyline.

  Lutz takes an interest in Leyna, secretly spends time with her, kisses her, and later shares a sexual relationship with her.

• Leyna → Koen (Family Half Sister) — Their sibling bond is damaged by ideology and grief.

  Koen is Leyna's younger half-brother, and they remain together after Kerstin is taken away.

• Leyna → Kerstin (Family Daughter) — Their mother-daughter bond is central to Leyna's survival.

  Kerstin is Leyna's white mother and tries to protect her from Nazi persecution.

• Kerstin → Koen (Family Mother) — She attempts to preserve Koen's humanity under Nazi pressure.

  Kerstin is identified as Koen's mother and teaches him despite his forced involvement with the Hitler Youth.

Story Dynamics

Alliances, conflicts, and narrative interactions that evolve throughout the story.

• American Soldier → Leyna (Alliance Rescuer) — The soldier helps move Leyna toward safety.

  After Lutz is killed, an American soldier comes to take Leyna away from the scene.

• SS Officer → Leyna (Conflict Persecutor) — He embodies the regime's violent opposition to Leyna's relationship.

  The SS Officer kills Lutz because he is determined to keep Lutz and Leyna apart.

Story Analysis

A young interracial couple struggles to preserve love and hope under Nazi persecution, war, and the destruction of their families.

Plot Progression

1. A Family Under Suspicion — Leyna, Kerstin, and Koen struggle under Nazi racial persecution. They relocate near Kerstin's reluctant sister, but the new setting does not remove the danger.
2. Love Against Doctrine — A bicycle accident brings Leyna and Lutz together. Their secret relationship grows while Koen is drawn into the Hitler Youth and begins adopting Nazi beliefs.
3. The Family Is Broken — Lutz hides Leyna during a violent search, but Kerstin is taken away in Leyna's place. Koen blames Leyna, forcing her to protect him while their family collapses.
4. Pregnancy In Captivity — Leyna is separated from Lutz and sent to a labor camp, where she secretly discovers her pregnancy. Lutz later becomes a guard at the same camp and finds her there.
5. The Cost Of Escape — Lutz proposes escape after learning about the child, but Leyna refuses because she expects death. His father discovers the plan, kills Lutz, and Leyna is eventually taken to safety.