It is before daybreak on April 18, 1906. Jacob Kaufman slips out of the wooden boarding house where he lives with his immigrant father and little sister Sophie. His father's harsh words still ring in his ears. Suddenly the ground beneath his feet begins to roll, buildings collapse, and Jacob runs to find safety from a devastating earthquake. Fires engulf the city. He returns to find his father and sister. . .but there is nothing left of the building but a pile of debris. Jacob and his dog join the throng of other people searching for shelter, food, fresh water. . .and loved ones who are missing. In award-winning author Gail Langer Karwoski's stirring fictional account of the San Francisco Earthquake of 1906, young readers will relive the drama of the actual event, and its devastating aftermath, through the courageous survival of a young boy. An Author's Note at the end carefully separates fact from fiction, giving young readers a glimpse into one of the worst earthquakes in modern history.