It's summertime in Paris, and the 1937 World's Fair is proceeding as planned... cautiously. Even as forty-four countries gather to present pavilions of peace and progress, rumors of unrest between the world powers echo through the streets. So begins the story of a Soviet playwright, an Italian artist, a British-Indian singer, a Black American pianist, and the German son of a Nazi, whose lives collide at the auditions for a new play. A Jewish play, one set to be performed in the heart of the International Exposition.
Despite their different backgrounds, the five misfits become fast friends, bonding over a shared love of the arts. But across the fair pavilions, enemies are aligning. Prejudice is growing. And the Eiffel Tower clock ticks closer and closer to the Second World War.
Featuring fifteen original illustrations, Hope Virginia Margolis's masterful debut brings to life one of history's most dramatic (and overlooked) events: the final World's Fair to host all of the Allies and Axis on the same stage. Heartfelt, honest and unflinchingly human, World Stage explores the power of art, the fragility of peace, and the consequences of daring to love the "enemy."