Since coming from Italy as a young child, the North End of Boston has been Joey Calabro's home. He loves the sights and sounds and smells of the North End, from the horse-drawn wagons rumbling over the cobbled streets to the smell of salty air from the waterfront. But Joey's parents have their heart set on leaving the city. Since the moment they arrived in the United States, they have been working toward their dream of owning a farm. Joey can't imagine living anywhere but in the North End. So, secretly, he decides to find a job and remain behind. Jobs have been scarce since the end of the Great War. Even veterans have trouble finding work. Nonetheless, Joey, who is twelve years old, plugs ahead. One day, while playing hookey from school, he heads down to the bustling waterfront. What happens there seems to bring the world to an end. But when the pain begins to subside, Joey discovers a new dream and a new life. Carol Harris's spirited novel carries readers back to the immigrant world of early-twentieth-century Boston. As the author writes in her afterword, "This story is for all immigrants who found their dream and for those who are still seeking."