Kidnapped from their parents during the Portuguese Inquisition, Maria and Isobel Ben Lazar were shipped across the ocean and forced to work as slaves at a monastery in Brazil. This novel tells the story of their escape from the monastery, then follows Isobel as she stows away aboard a Dutch ship bound for Amsterdam. The first study guide relates to the value of zrizut (taking initiative) and the second relates to the historical focus of the book.