Tally’s first weeks at boarding school become bearable when she and a group of classmates are chosen to participate in a dance contest in Berga nia—a country whose king refuses to cooperate with Hitler’s latest demands. During the contest, the king is assassinated. Tally and her friends help the young prince of Bergania escape from the Nazi soldiers. Together, they discover each person’s special talents and the value of lifelong compassion. This award-winning author interweaves a fantasy setting with historical fiction adventure. 2009 USBBY Outstanding International Books List. nrr

At first Tally doesn’t want to go to the boarding school called Delderton. But she soon discovers that it is a wonderful place where freedom and selfexpression are valued. Tally organizes a ragtag dance troupe so the school can participate in an international folk dancing festival in Bergania in the summer of 1939. There she befriends Karil, the crown prince, who would love nothing more than to have ordinary friends and attend a school like Delderton. When Karil’s father is assassinated, it is up to Tally and her friends to help Karil escape the Nazis and the bleak future he has inherited.