Book excerpt: It is German-occupied Poland in 1942 and Jewish lives are at risk. Nazi soldiers order young boys to pull down their trousers to see if they are circumcised. Many are summarily shot or sent to the camps. A remarkable mother takes an ingenious step. To avoid suspicion, she trains her teenage son to be a girl: his clothing, voice, hair, manners and more. Together, mother and son face incredible odds as their story sweeps backwards and forwards across occupied Europe. 'A remarkable act of love by writing.' Morris Gleitzman ‘A compelling reminder of the cruelty of discrimination . . . and a testament to a boy’s bravery, sublimating his true identity in the face of ever-present danger.’ Simon French ‘An astonishing story of survival set against the backdrop of the Holocaust.’ Mark Baker, Associate Professor of Holocaust and Genocide Studies, Monash University