<b>An exciting new stand-alone adventure by the internationally bestselling author of <b><i>The Letter for the King</i></b>.</b><br><br>Deep in the woods, in a crooked house full of stairs, a young boy is kept prisoner by his uncle. He cannot meet other children, or have any friends. He holds the key to a secret.<br><br>Meanwhile, in a quiet village, Frans the schoolteacher invents incredible stories of perilous deeds, shipwrecks, deser