Description: "A woman's passion for chess endures from her childhood in Vienna through her emigration to San Francisco as a Jewish refugee of WWII. Based on the life of the author's grandmother, Elsa Konstandt Weisz"--
Review Quotes: Basing her story on her grandmother's experiences (with some coming "from my imagination"), Andrus pens an economical, heartfelt narrative. Downing likewise invests her watercolors with thoughtful details.
--The Horn Book (starred review)
--Kirkus Reviews [An] appealing picture book.
--Booklist A moving historical tale of one family's immigration story, along with a compelling introduction to the game of chess. Highly recommended.
--School Library Journal This heart-tugging story considers the way a treasured object--and pastime--offers meaning across lifetimes and generations.
--Publishers Weekly