This evocative historical novel tells the story of Giacinto, who emigrates from Italy in 1912 and becomes a carousel carver during the golden age of the craft in America, and Rosa, the eight-year-old orphan girl thrust into his care.
In 1939, with war looming and few new carousels being built, Giacinto leaves Philadelphia for the New Jersey shore, where his wildly popular creations require skilled attention after every summer season. The arrival of Rosa from Italy turns a solitary and predictable middle-aged existence on its head.