In mirroring stories set in Russia and Chile, Vera and Lucas long for a friend to share their separate, but surprisingly similar, adventures.

Anna Desnitskaya is the author-illustrator of On the Edge of the World (Eerdmans), The Apartment: A Century of Russian History (Abrams), and many other books for young readers. In 2018, she was Russia's nominee for the 2018 Astrid Lindgren Memorial Award, the world's largest award for children's literature. Amid the turmoil in Russia in 2022, Anna and her family made the decision to leave their longtime home of Moscow. After spending several months in Israel, they have currently settled in Montenegro. Follow Anna on Instagram @anyadesnitskaya.