Originally published in 1915 by the author of The Secret Garden, a classic coming-of-age story featuring a boy who discovers his royal heritage.
The only life twelve-year-old Marco has ever known is one in which he travels from place to place with his father, far from their home country of Samavia, which has been embroiled in civil unrest ever since the king was overthrown. But legend has it that the king and his heir are still alive and only waiting for the right moment to return.
Entrusted by his father with a message for the people of Samavia, Marco journeys across Europe with his orphan friend, who goes by the nickname “the Rat.” Little do Marco and the Rat know that they are paving the way for the new heir to the throne, for their arrival in Samavia inspires a revolution and unites young Marco with his destiny.
