Any child can spark magic, but only the elite are allowed to kindle. Those denied access to kindling will lose their magic before they turn thirteen. In 1906 New York, Miss Posterity's Academy is the best kindling school-and Emma Harris is used to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma must work off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a servant girl who refuses to let her magic be snuffed out. When a student's kindling goes wrong, Emma and Izzy form a pact to help one another, and together embark on a journey to keep magic in the right hands. . .or risk losing it forever.
Heartfelt and absorbing, The Gilded Girl is Alyssa Colman's sparkling debut novel about determination, spirit, and the magic of friendship.
