Friends to the Rescue
This dual-timeline novel takes place during two traumatic events in the history of Fossa, a small village in the Abruzzi region of Italy. It begins in 2009 when an earthquake destroys the town. Luca, who is about ten years old, is having lunch with his grandfather when the temblor strikes. They survive, but their house is destroyed and Luca’s best friend, Antonio, is injured and frightened. Always the follower, Luca has to step up and help his friend and the rest of the community, following the example of the protagonist of his favorite comic book, Capitano Eroe. But not long afterward, new helpers arrive—a busload of medical and construction volunteers returning the favor for aid that the people of Fossa gave to them decades earlier.
In 1943, after Mussolini’s fascist regime fell and Germany invaded Italy, thousands of Italian Jews went into hiding to avoid being deported to the death camps. Some of them ended up in Fossa, where villagers hid them in attics and basements. Luca’s grandfather, Roberto, was his age at the time, and when his family hid Sara Rossetti and her family, Roberto befriended her and saved her twice from capture. Again, his inspiration was Capitano Eroe, the fictional character whose presence unites these two storylines about trust and courage. Sara, now a nurse living abroad, has come to help the earthquake-stricken town.
Short chapters, black-and-white illustrations, and plenty of action give this book appeal to young middle-grade readers. Schwartz depicts young Roberto and Luca realistically as reluctant heroes, needing to overcome their fears to act decisively in difficult circumstances. And that’s what true courage is—doing the right thing even when one is afraid.
