The ancient-looking footlocker was filled to the brim. On top was a tattered Prussian Army uniform, scattered gold buttons, some papers and a sword! Tommy Haus couldn't believe what he was seeing. The old army trunk had belonged to his great-grandfather, Captain Caspar Haus, who emmigrated to Chicago from Germany many years before. With the help of an old neighbor lady, Tommy and his family discover some keys to his ancestor's past. Tommy is a second grader who loves to pretend he is a soldier, but the sword in the trunk is not a toy. The neighbor lady is an amateur genealogist. Mrs. Kocka digs into the captain's past to discover the kind of life he lived, what it meant to be a Prussian soldier, and the sacrifices he faced by being an immigrant. Tommy finds out more about who he is and where he came from. And it all starts with Caspar's sword. Author Denise Hirota grew up in Santa Ana, California. Her husband, Tom, joined the military over thirty years ago, and they set out to see the world. They have now been married 33 years, live near Tacoma, Washington, and have a 31-year-old daughter, Bethany. The author wants to encourage children to ask about their roots. Ten years ago, Hirota began researching her own immigrant relatives who came from Europe. The first was her great-grandfather, whose name was Caspar.