The Ballad of Yaya Book 9: SonataPaperback, 29 December 2020

The conclusion to the nine-part adventure of little rich girl Yaya and her street urchin friend Tuduo as they cross war-torn Shanghai in the wake of the Japanese invasion of 1937 in hopes of finding Yaya's parents.

This nine-volume series chronicles their long journey fraught with perils. The children meet all sorts of people, both friendly and wicked, as they travel toward Hong Kong. Yaya and Tuduo learn many growing lessons along the way, not the least of which is to judge a person on their character, not their social or financial status. The gloom of war, its absurd tragedy, gives way to the incredible capacity of youth to overwhelm grim reality.

Yaya is finally back home in Shanghai, ending her great adventure where hope and disillusionment intertwined. But her homecoming is met with a very bad surprise -- the big house where she expected to find her family is deserted. Only the loyal driver Chang is there to greet her. Fortunately, Tuduo and his little brother arrive to cheer her up and give her hope. Because her parents may not be that far away... But the seemingly indestructible Zhu continues to lurk in the shadows...