"A novel following the odyssey of a 17-year-old at the outset of WWII from the occupied Krakow ghetto to the Polish countryside and finally to the arms of the young woman he's loved since childhood; a story of survival against all odds, guided by the transformative power of love. Born to a middle class Polish Jewish family, Reuven grows up admiring his father, the respected businessman who owns the local shop that produces beautiful handmade umbrellas. The family's peaceful life begins to unravel as the Nazis infiltrate the town, take over the business, and eventually persecute Reuven and all other Jews. One night, Zelda, the girl who seven-year-old Reuven loves, disappears with her family; soon thereafter, Reuven and his father are conscripted by the Nazis into backbreaking physical labor that almost kills them. Clearly, they must escape-and some of them will die trying. What ensues is a fast paced, but heartfelt and lovely, story of survival and hope. Reuven is saved by a local farmer who has never met a Jew before-mostly because he wants him to help work the farm. Meanwhile, the farmer's wife has other ideas about Reuven-which lead to his desperate escape further into the countryside, and eventually to a local town where he hopes to reconnect with Zelda, herself forever changed by her experiences of war."--