Dimensions
111 x 15 x 179mm
World War II has ended and Europe is a shifting mass of refugees. In the mountain town of Escorial in Fascist Spain an American woman meets a small, resolutely independent boy drawing a perfect replica of the town's great monastery in the snow. The child, Herschel, will not tell Evelyn where he has come from but speaks of the moon, the snow and, a little, of his extraordinary gift for drawing. Then a car pulls up and a darkly dressed official gets out, scouring the street for signs of movement. Terrified, Herschel pleads with Evelyn to hide him. Eventually she does, and begins to understand the strange child's extraordinary story. And her own.
A blend of historical fact and dreamlike images that conveys the tragic events with a spareness that underlines their horror. A fable about spiritual resurrection, written with considerable subtlety.