A moving tale of secrets and survival bound together by the power of music, from a master storyteller.

When Lesley is sent to Venice to interview world-renowned violinist Paulo Levi on his fiftieth birthday, she cannot believe her luck. She is told that she can ask him anything at all - except the Mozart question. But it is Paulo himself who decides that it is time for the truth to be told. And so follows the story of his parents as Jewish prisoners of war, forced to play Mozart violin concerti for the enemy; how they watched fellow Jews being led off to their deaths and knew that they were playing for their lives. As the story unfolds, the journalist begins to understand the full horror of war, and how one group of musicians survived using the only weapon they had - music.

About the Author

Michael Morpurgo, the 2003-2005 Children's Laureate, is widely recognized as a master storyteller, and has won numerous awards for his work, including the Smarties Book Prize, the Writer's Guild Award and the Children's Book Award (for The Wreck of the Zanzibar). Michael lives in Devon.

Michael Foreman is one of the world's leading illustrators. He has won several major awards, including the Kate Greenaway Medal, most recently for War Boy. His titles for Walker Books include Beowulf (9781844287543), Sir Gawain and the Green Knight (9781844287307) and Mia's Story (9781844282784). He lives in London.

Reviews
This story finely balances the trauma and the shock of personal memoir ... with a contemporary story of hope and life-affirming recovery. * Guardian *
Wonderful illustrations. * Wells Journal *
The storytelling is superb . . . it makes a good read for those who are short of time but want a quality read. I read it on the daily commute * The Citizen *
The storytelling is superb . . . it makes a good read for those who are short of time but want a quality read. I read it on the daily commute * The Citizen (Gloucester) *



Book Information
ISBN 9781406312201
Author Sir Michael Morpurgo
Format Paperback
Page Count 80
Imprint Walker Books Ltd
Publisher Walker Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 161g
Dimensions(mm) 185mm * 155mm * 8mm