In the World War One occupied town of Denain, France, Bertrand Prosp�re cares for the remnants of his family while covertly engaging in espionage. When his troubled daughter Josephine is befriended by a German soldier, complications arise. Matters worsen after a relative and fellow spy flees and the suspicious regimental intelligence officer redirects his attention to Bertrand. Caught in a cat and mouse game, Bertrand must outwit those who seemingly hold all the cards. Set in the historic battleground region of the French Nord, the story transports the reader on a remarkable journey through the eyes of Bertrand and his family during the tumult of nineteenth and early twentieth century France, flirts with the bygone era of Roman Gaul, and travels to distant lands and back. Nigro's first novel is a fast-moving, page-turner whose colorful characters crisscross time and continents. In a precarious world where life is cheap and morality is in the eyes of the beholder, The Stonemason's Apprentice masterfully delivers a message of optimism, forbearance, and hope in the face of adversity, intolerance, and evil.