This moving story, written in French and filled with familiar French expressions, takes us back to 1917. Marco, a young boy, lived on Holland Island, which was slowly sinking into the sea. While his brother was away fighting in the war in France, Marco cared for his mother. He was a shy boy who loved to watch birds and play the harmonica, a hidden gift from his brother Tom in their special tree trunk.

Life on the island was hard. As the land sank, everyone thought about leaving, and Marco saw his friends and neighbors leave one by one. There was also a bully named Bill LeRoux who made life even harder for Marco.

But the story isn’t all sad. It shows how the islanders supported each other in tough times and how they dealt with the loss of their island. The story is more touching because Holland Island was a real place that’s now underwater. It makes us think about how difficult life must have been for the people who once lived there.