Alice, a German Jewish girl, has been protected by her family from the knowledge of the fate of the Jews in war-torn Germany. As her August journey in a cattle truck to Auschwitz begins, she starts to understand why she has been kept in hiding for so long, and to realise the threat to the survival of the Jewish population in Germany.
Gudrun Pausewang is Germany's leading writer for teenagers. She deals with political issues and is an activist herself, passionately committed to the struggle for human rights and a better world.
The translator, Patricia Crampton, is renowned for her outstanding translation of European fiction. She received the Eleanor Farjeon award in recognition of her services to the world of children's books.