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.