Already an international phenomenon, this utterly engaging novel tells the heart wrenching tale of a nine year old boy who loses his mother and embarks on a quest to understand her death as he grows older.

One snowy New Year's Eve, nine-year-old Massimo wakes up to a long, anguished cry and the disconcerting image of his father being supported by two strangers. Inexplicably, his mother has disappeared, leaving only a vague trail of perfume in his room and her dressing gown bundled up at the foot of his bed. Where has she gone? Will she ever come back? And will Massimo be able to say he's...