Part 1 History… 8
Part 2: The Story of Estrilt… 27
Part 3 History … 119
Part 4: The Parikh Story… 127
Part 5 History … 179

Translator's Note … 191

◆ The body of a child discovered as a mummy in the Bindebi Swamp
Why did any young life have to be drowned in a swamp?

“Everyone has a story.
“I wanted to solve this girl’s puzzle.”_From the text

In 1952, workers digging peat in the Vindeby Swamp in Germany discovered a swamp mummy.
A mummy preserved in a swamp for 2,000 years is discovered by anthropologists to be the body of a teenage child.
The child, who was unusually small in stature, had half-shaven blond hair and was sleeping with his eyes covered by an intricately woven plaid, his mouth slightly open as if asking, "Why?"
Why did this child have to end his life so early, in such a haunting and remote place? Lois Lowry painstakingly pieces together the story's puzzle, attempting to decipher the reasons within the framework of history.


From these archaeological discoveries, two suspenseful and heartbreaking narratives unfold.
This is the story of Estrilt, a girl who dreams of becoming the first female warrior, longing for the strength to protect those precious to her, and Parik, a physically challenged boy who explored nature and life before the advent of science.
Both stories are beautiful, vivid reconstructions of the life of a child who lived in the Iron Age, and they are also stories that remember those who walked before us, namelessly, yet unknown to the world.
The author's ability to faithfully tell a story that resonates with readers today while remaining true to historical facts is evident, depicting pioneering figures who may have met unusual deaths because they were slightly more special than others.


Estrilt, who spoke out for women's rights, and Parik, who faced the world with shining wisdom and a warm heart despite being an orphan with an unstable body, are children who bravely dreamed of a new future by breaking free from the mold of their time.
In today's world, where marginalization and selfishness of the weak are widespread and the value of care work is easily overlooked, as we follow the story, recalling the hearts of the two children, we are faced with a cold question mark, like the last expression of the 'Bindevi child' who was discovered as a mummy.


◆ A girl who challenges the limits of the given role
A boy who did something brave and good

“Everyone should do one brave and good thing before they die, and that’s what my maternal uncle did.
I helped other warriors on the battlefield.
If you were brave and did good things, you died well-prepared, so others shouldn't be sad.
“That person and what he did will always be remembered.”_From the text

Estrilt is an ambitious girl with extraordinary aspirations.
I long for strength, not the sidelong glances of boys my age.
People say that women's work, including childbirth, childcare, and housework, is just as important as men's, but Estrilt finds it strange that they are not considered equally important.
No one cheers on women's work or crowns them with laurels of victory.
Estrilt believes that a woman's life shouldn't be like this.
Dreaming of becoming the first female warrior, she trains every morning, holding a shield and reciting warrior's mottos.


Meanwhile, Parikh, who lost his parents at a very young age, is a boy with a weak and sickly body, but with a strong curiosity and passion for learning.
Parik, who believes that the old owl living in the swamp may be his only friend who understands and loves him, soothes his loneliness by making friends with nature and life, and collects dead birds and calf bones, placing them on his 'shelf of learning' to observe and explore.
One winter day, when the blacksmith who had been torturing him slips on the ice and injures his leg, Parik is more courageous than he is afraid of being punished, and his altruistic desire to be able to fix the blacksmith's leg takes precedence.


◆ And yet I have lived, I am living, and I am making it possible for me to live
The power inherent in us, present in every life of every century

The author, who describes his identity as a storyteller as “someone who opens closed doors, looks into corners, and tries to find out all the reasons that make people who they are,” is given a special look as his gaze expands further, reaching back to the Iron Age, the past of mankind.
The image of a past society dominated by religion and class, where roles were strictly fixed and differences were not accepted, and where oppression and rigidity were prevalent, is intertwined with the worldview of a future society where everything is controlled and uniform, as previously presented by the author.
The author, who does not hesitate to tackle controversial and sensitive subjects, draws attention to the unfamiliar and eerie subject of the swamp mummy.


However, the story that begins with 'death' paradoxically focuses on the 'life' that preceded that death.
And the focus is on the quiet struggles of everyday life that make up that life, the intense desires that must have been held in one's heart, and the good courage that one must have shown to others.
It talks about the most universal and valuable things that exist in all lives of all centuries.
Even in a society where oppression and violence run rampant, humanity has lived, continues to live, and continues to live.
The message is that what's important is the resilient strength within us that allows us to continue to live, learn, give, and pave a better path.
In this work, which silently depicts our appearance of always overcoming in the end and moving forward, questions arise that make us reflect on our present.

◆ Overseas media reviews

A heart-wrenching and heart-warming story.
This book is for young readers interested in history, as well as young writers.
Magician Laurie takes us backstage and is happy to show us his sleight of hand.
The master storyteller delves into not only how to create stories, but also why.
-The New York Times

A fascinating combination of novel and essay.
In this tightly woven, realistic novel, the masterful prose of the literary master, Lowry, stands out with its vivid sense of rhythm.
This unique and honest essay raises profound questions about death and is filled with genuine respect for the reader.
-《Soul Book》

A work that allows us to look into the past through a high-resolution magnifying glass.
-Publisher's Weekly

The process of an idea becoming concrete is beautifully captured.
The artistic photographs that fill both sides of the spread also create dramatic interest.
-《Kirkus Reviews》