Anna loves to sit in the corner of her father's workshop, watching his skillful hands lovingly repair books and longing to learn this time-honored craft for herself. She understands what other people do not: The new large binderies that are stealing her father's business can bind books faster, but their work will not endure as long.

To many people, though, speed matters more than skill. Even her father's most important client threatens to pull his business unless his latest order of books is rebound in three days. Anna's father works long hours struggling to complete the order, but all seems lost when Anna's pregnant mother goes into labor the night before the order is due.

Determined not to let her father fail, Anna decides to take the fate of the family business into her own hands.

From the dust jacket