saving da vinci
Sixteen-year-old Stefano Cavadoni's job can get him killed. It is 1944 and Stefano is an Italian Partisan, living and working in Rome. Living a "double-life" because his mother does not have a "need to know," Stefano risks his life to hinder the German army. He helps save Italian artwork. He works a rescue to a downed American airman. He helps the orphans of Rome reach shelter. If he can avoid the Gestapo, he might be able to live long enough to see the Allies reach Rome.
"Through the lives of Stefano, Leonardo, Lina and other Partisans, Annie Laura Smith brings to light the workings and courage of Italian Partisans...She uses the actual raid on the Florence rail yards by the Allied 319th Bomb Group to focus the reader's interest on two main Partisan activities: rescuing downed Allied airmen and saving Italy's art treasures from the Nazis. Young readers will not only thrill to the clandestine action, but will also learn about the Italians' priceless artwork and their patriotism and dedication in helping liberate their country." - 1st Lt. Joseph Connaughton, Bombardier/Navigator, 319th Bomb Group, Mediterranean and Pacific Theaters of Operation (1944-45), World War II
