This story, the fifth in the Back to .... Series, takes us with Philippe, the blind French boy, and his sister, Sophie, back to early 19th century France. They are spun there by the magic carousel and their great horses lead them to meet Louis Braille, the inventor of the writing system for the blind. He is only a boy himself and he introduces Philippe to life in that period before they all go to Paris where they have a violent confrontation with a criminal and take a walking tour of the city. They stay in Louis' special school for the blind and Philippe finds out what it's like to live in a boarding school of that time before they are whirled back to our own century. The book, like the others in the series, is suitable for children between about ten and fourteen and contains the same elements of fantasy and real history.