Gregory Maguire, bestselling author of Wicked, combines fairy tale and folklore in this irreverent re-imagining of the classic story of mistaken identity — The Prince and the Pauper. Described by School Library Journal as a beautiful reminder that fairy tales are at their best when they illuminate the precarious balance between lighthearted childhood and the darkness and danger of adulthood, this book will appeal to readers both young and old. Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside. Her father is dead and her mother dying, while her brother has been conscripted into the Tsar's army. Elena's future is as bleak as the wastelands surrounding her village of Miersk. That is until the night of a freak storm when a majestic steam train is forced to stop at the village's abandoned station. The train carries a fabulous Faberge egg and Ekaterina, a girl whose fate is now entwined with Elena's. When their lives collide, a complex, funny and engrossing adventure begins. An adventure that features the mythical Firebird, a prince travelling incognito, the awesome city of Saint Petersburg, the glacial lands of the north, and — in a starring role — Baba Yaga, the enigmatic witch of Russian folklore, and her shapeshifting house, Dumb Doma, perched on chicken legs.
