Based on a true story . . .

As the only Jewish girl in her New York neighborhood, thirteen-year-old Miriam Liebler has a lot on her mind. World War II is raging, and her brother will soon pack his bags to join the fight. Blackouts and air-raid drills punctuate her daily life. Worse yet, her family has heard nothing from their Jewish relatives in Europe since before the war started, and Miriam fears the worst. Her friends don't understand her worries—until she meets Christopher Richards, an orphaned English boy whisked to America to escape the deadly bombings of London. Miriam and Chris exchange candy, comic books, and secrets through the iron bars of the orphanage fence.

When Miriam's mother takes in a German-Jewish refugee and her daughter, Miriam becomes entangled in the woman's desperate search to find her family. Will her friendship with Chris survive when trouble brews?
Readers, don't miss the last few pages to learn more about the real Miriam Liebler.