"A truly wondrous novel, based on a wondrously true story," exclaimed André Comte-Sponville, one of the first people to read the manuscript. Leafing through a coffee table book about the Île de France's November 1946 journey to New York, Patrick Renou was moved by the tale of a stowaway who spoke a language no one could understand and gave birth en route to a little girl. Diving into archives from Cherbourg to New York, the novelist reimagined Milena's tale with elegance and style. Latvian, Jewish, a survivor of the camps, she saw her life transformed over the course of a memorable seven-day crossing.