Gustave doesn't want to move from Paris to a village in the countryside, far from his cousin and his best friend. But the Germans are coming, and the city is not safe for Jews. His parents can't convince their friends and relatives to join them, but they take Gustave and travel to the countryside, where they rent a house and settle in to a new, quieter life. They tell Gustave it's only temporary -- a few months, probably. And they warn him not to tell anyone he's Jewish.

When the Nazis invade France, Gustave's family is lucky. Their village is just over the demarcation line, into the unoccupied zone. But can they find a way to bring the other families across the line?

A gripping story, aimed at ages 8-12, about life in unoccupied France during World War II. Gustave is a sympathetic character, and the setting will be unfamiliar to many readers.