A young girl fleeing Hitler takes refuge in Shanghai, where she learns that she must fight to survive
Throughout tomboy Ilse’s childhood, her mother has tried to force her to behave like a proper Austrian lady. But when Hitler annexes their country, the family flees, boarding a packed freighter and sailing around the world in search of a safe harbor. The United States refuses to take them, so they proceed to China and make a new home in steamy, mysterious Shanghai. Their lodgings are cramped, money is tight, and Ilse’s father cannot find work—but Ilse is enchanted by the city’s international flavor. In Shanghai’s shadows she finds the adventure of a lifetime.
When the Japanese occupy the city, Ilse and her brother begin working in an underground resistance cell. Each day, the city grows more dangerous, and Ilse must lie, cheat, and steal in order for her family to eat. She is a long way from Austria, but she will do whatever it takes to survive.
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Lois Ruby has had many books published for children by Aladdin, Scholastic, Houghton Mifflin, Viking Press and many others. Her books include the popular historical fiction Soon to be Free and Steal Away Home. Her books have been voted An International Reading Association Young Adults' Choice; and they feature on Children's Choice lists in several states.
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