When the Nazis invade Poland and bomb his home city of Warsaw, young Rudi Kaplan finds out that he is Hitler's enemy because he is a Pole, a Jew, and a Christian. For weeks he watches as his friends and neighbors are kicked out of their homes, beaten, and arrested by the invaders. Rudi and his father try to help the wounded and starving Poles while keeping out of the Germans' way; but they know that sooner or later their Jewish identity will be discovered. To escape being sent to a concentration camp, Rudi must venture alone into the frozen forest outside the city. Even harder than learning how to survive is learning whom to trust. The only thing that sustains Rudi is a promise from his father and from his God. - Back cover.