In 2000, Adam Gopnik’s much-praised memoir of Paris life, Paris to the Moon, became a national best seller. Now Gopnik returns to the city he loves to tell the story of Oliver Parker, a ten-year-old American boy miserably trapped in France, where his father is stationed as a journalist.

One night, in the middle of a dark and freezing Paris January, Oliver puts on the gold paper crown that comes with an Epiphany cake, looks at himself in the window, and sees an amazing vision -- a boy at his window who seems to inhabit Oliver’s reflection. His pursuit of the boy leads him to the palace of Versailles, where he discovers that a secret race of immortal French classical scholars, the Window Wraiths, have claimed Oliver as their ultimate ruler: The King in the Window. With no weapon more powerful than his mind, Oliver sets about becoming a king worthy of the name -- and in doing so, saves his father’s soul.

With wonderful characters, high comedy, and a thrilling narrative, this exhilarating romp through time is an unforgettable adventure for fantasy readers of all ages.

Read Chapter 1.

ADAM GOPNIK is a staff writer for The New Yorker and author of the national best seller Paris to the Moon. He lives in New York.

Praise for Paris to the Moon:
“The finest book on France in recent years.” -- The New York Times Book Review

“A masterful, vastly entertaining, funny and poignant book . . . truly wonderful.“ -- Chicago Sun-Times

“A prose master.” -- Entertainment Weekly

“A writer of extraordinary grace and skill.” -- San Francisco Chronicle