Already an international phenomenon, this utterly engaging novel tells the heart wrenching tale of a nine year old boy who loses his mother and embarks on a quest to understand her death as he grows older. One snowy New Year's Eve, nine-year-old Massimo wakes up to a long, anguished cry and the disconcerting image of his father being supported by two strangers. Inexplicably, his mother has disappeared, leaving only a vague trail of perfume...