Ah, man. Where do I even start? I have been a fan of Ruta since I read between Shades of Gray. Her historical fiction novels are always a rare mix of history and heart break. Her other books did not disappoint and I must betray you did not disappoint either. We follow a boy from Romania which is a communist country. And we get to see how hard life is for himself and those around him. The boy is brave in a time of strife and trouble. And I really tried putting myself in the shoes of this boy, really tried putting myself in this country where everything is controlled. And I cant imagine the day to day life of people who truly live it. I felt this book. And felt sorry for the characters even though I know its just a story. However there's truth here in her words. And that makes it even harder to imagine. So if you read this one I also recommend her other historical fiction history books!