A war-torn country . . . a town that is burning. A single ship waits at the port for those who can escape. How can a boy and his grandfather hope to get on board? And will they find his mother before it leaves? When Papa meets two old friends, he makes a deal that could save them all. But this is only the beginning of the journey for Malik. If he is to escape, he will need all of his courage, his sense of right and wrong and a magic trick that he must practise till it's perfect.

Samuel's an educated boy. Been taught by a priest. He was never supposed to be a slave. He's a good boy too, thought- ful and kind. The type of boy who'd take the blame for something he didn't do, if it meant he could save his brother. So now they don't call him Samuel anymore. And the sound of guns is getting ever closer . . . Jon Walter's second novel is a beautiful and moving story about the power of belief and the strength of the human spirit, set against the terrifying backdrop of the American Civil War.