Past and present are woven into this novel set in contemporary times and WWII Poland. Based on a real-life story about friendship and endurance in the darkest situation.Kat is a 12-year-old girl who loves working on her super-heroine comic, Girl 38 - the girl she longs to be like. But she s not brave, or fearless. At school, Gem is no longer her best friend . And at home Kat is lonely while her parents are busy working long hours. She s even a bit afraid of her elderly neighbour, Ania. But when Ania has an accident Kat surprises herself by rushing to the rescue - just like Girl 38. Their unlikely friendship blossoms, and with it Kat s determination, as Ania reveals the haunting story behind the portrait of a girl she s left unfinished. Inspired by Ania - her daring leap to freedom and her search for her lost friend, Mila, who was taken away by soldiers to a walled village at the outbreak of WWII - Kat unravels the mystery of the girl in the painting and finds a happy ending for Girl 38. Ewa Jozefkowicz s debut novel The Mystery of the Colour Thief published by Zephyr in 2018, was shortlisted for the 2019 Waterstones Children s Book Prize.Ewa lives in London with her husband and twin daughters but regularly visits her family in Poland.
