Escape From Pompeii

The eruption of Mount Vesuvius in AD 79 meant death for most of the Roman citizens living in Pompeii. But some people must have survived, and Christina Balit has used this as the starting-point for her story. It tells of Tranio, an actor's son, and his friend Livia, the baker's daughter, who witness the destruction of their beloved city.

Review: On the hillside overlooking the sparkling bay of Naples, the Roman city of Pompeii glimmered in the sunlight. From his window, young Tranio listened to the noise humming from bars, taverns, and shops around him . . . Beyond the massive city walls he could see Pompeii's greatest protector looming in the distance.

They called it Vesuvius, the Gentle Mountain. -- from the book