The book is my father's personal tale of his quest to discover a family secret considered to be shameful. The story is an emotional, fact-based adventure of identity, home, faith, courage and persistence. Although fact based, I have chosen to write the story as a novel in order develop dialogue and scenes for the sake of narrative coherence. My father's odyssey begins at age 16, in a dishonest manner. He and a friend steal money from their families to support their trip to Italy. During his travels, my father learns much about himself and life as he faces the complications of being a penniless boy in a foreign land after being robbed of his passport and money. The book is a time capsule of the era and an absorbing read. The coming of age adventure is appropriate for both adult and young adult genres and one that readers will not want to put down.