'Nazi-occupied Italy, 1943. The house looks deserted but Evelina can hear a child whimpering. In the hatch at the bottom of the laundry chute she finds Mario, his brown eyes wide as dinner plates. His parents have been taken and now Evelina is the only one who can keep him safe…
'When the Nazis storm into Venice, Evelina receives a terrified note from her best friend, a devoted Jewish schoolteacher: Help me. Evelina rushes to the rescue, but is devastated to find that her friend has been taken. Now Evelina is responsible for Mario, and she must find a way to get him out of the city.
'The Nazis are rounding up Jewish children, so Evelina hides the six-year-boy in her beautiful house on the grand canal. She sneaks him food and reads to him at night, stroking his brown curls until he falls asleep. Evelina knows there is one person who might be able to help her: a handsome American reporter named Jack Sabo and Evelina begs for his help.
'She is relieved when Jack finds a boat that can take Mario to safety. But with spies on every corner, moving the little boy will be terribly dangerous. Using every ounce of courage Evelina has, she must carry Mario across the city, holding her head high and talking her way out of trouble if she gets caught. She tries to keep Jack’s kind voice and his sparkling blue eyes in her mind as she makes the journey.
'But just as Evelina thinks the danger is over at last, jackboots pound up the stairs and a fist hammers on the door. Evelina fears that someone close has betrayed her. In an instant, the hopeful future that she and Jack planned shatters. Can Evelina and Jack get Mario to safety before it’s too late?' (Publication summary)
