Lucas DuBois is known as Petit Éclair for his timid nature and tendency to run away from conflict. He hesitates at the chance to finally stand up to his tormentor threatening to drown a sack of newborn kittens. Unable to fight back, he manages to whisk the kittens away at the last minute to a stable outside his village. Determined to keep them alive, Lucas returns to the stable to make sure they are safe.
During one visit, he encounters Alice, a wealthy English girl hiding her beloved horse from German soldiers. Lucas learns that the occupying forces intend to take the horse and turn her into a broodmare. The two forge an unlikely friendship as they try to protect the animals they love. But when Lucas’s involvement at the German maternity home puts him in proximity to a secret resistance, the orphan seizes the chance to take a stand against something much bigger than the bullies at his orphanage.
But what happens when an act of courage and defiance could potentially cost the lives of those closest to him? Who is worth protecting when the odds are overwhelming and an orphaned errand boy like Lucas was never meant to be a hero?
A riveting middle-grade historical read worth with a third act to savor as early narrative threads fall into place for a galloping finish. For ages 8 and up.
View in Catalog
