On February 27, 1941, bombs fall, families vanish, and the war lantern burns â ¦

In England, fifteen-year-old schoolboy Marcus isnâ t supposed to tell anyone about his work at Parnallâ s Aircraft Factory, not even his mother, for fear of Hitlerâ s spies. In Germany, fourteen-year-old Giseleâ s baby brother is about to be taken away by Nazi officials, who deem him â not worthy of life.â Overhead, Tail End Charlie, an underage Royal Air Force rear gunner, flies for a German steel factory behind a squadron of bombers.

Each lead seemingly separate lives, struggling to survive amid World War II, until the roar of bombs â and the silence in the aftermath â connects them all.

Inspired by her family history, Governor Generalâ s Literary Awardâ winning author Philippa Dowding delivers a carefully researched and powerfully moving wartime story for young readers about family, connections, and resilience.