Roberto and Samuele are prisoners in a Nazi forced labour camp in Italy. They share a secret - a secret that, if discovered, will mean death for them both. Roberto is Jewish. Escape becomes Roberto's only chance, but can he survive the brutal winter cold, with only the gift stone from the Jewish girl in the camp to give him hope that he will ever see his home again? Donna Jo Napoli is of Italian heritage, and did extensive research for this book, which is based on the experiences of a friend. When it was first published, this book was the Publisher's Weekly pick of the young adult novels. A fast-paced and involving read, which draws the reader in from the very first page.

 

There are 160 pages in this book. This book was published 2002 by Oxford University Press .

Donna Jo Napoli is a linguistics professor and has written more than eighty books for young readers. She lives in Swarthmore, Pennsylvania. www. donnajonapoli. com