Masters of silence

"Siblings Helen and Henry know how powerful silence can be. In a desperate act to escape the Nazis in their native Germany, their mother brings them to a convent in France. She promises to return for them, but until she does, they must reveal nothing about their past and assume strange new identities. Henry, traumatized by the experience, falls silent. It's only visits from a local mime, the children's one source of joy, that help bring Henry out of his mute state and show him and his sister how to find hope and healing once again"--Back cover.