Young Eliza and her eleven brothers' lives are transformed when a plague ravages the Kingdom of the North and kills their mother, the Queen. When their father remarries, their brilliant and "unusual" new stepmother becomes obsessed with finding a cure for the plague and protecting her new family - so obsessed that she decides to turn the boys into swans so they can fly away from the plague, and to send Eliza to a far-away village the plague hasn't touched. Years later, the Queen discovers a cure for the plague just before she dies from it herself. With the kingdom in chaos, it's up to teenaged Eliza to find her brothers, break the Queen's spell on them, return home to cure the plague - and claim her rightful place in the kingdom! AGES: 6 to 10 AUTHOR: Xanthe Gresham Knight used to save her bus fare for school by walking through the park, memorizing beautiful things. She is now an acclaimed writer and storyteller who performs across Europe and North America. Xanthe lives in East Sussex, England. She has written Thumbelina and The Princess and the Pea for Barefoot Books. SELLING POINTS: . A bold, empowered, feminist retelling of the classic Hans Christian Andersen tale of the lengths a brave young girl will go to for her family. Protagonist Eliza uses her bravery, loyalty, persistence and skill in weaving to solve a problem and save the day. . Eliza's relationships with her brothers, stepmother, foster family and the King of the South are all positively depicted, overturning the common fairy tales tropes of the evil stepmother and heroine rewarded with marriage. . Illustrated with great detail by French artist Charlotte Gastaut. Both the interior and cover includes a special effect: accents of a shimmery metallic gold ink. Charming text by renowned English storyteller Xanthe Gresham Knight is full of quirky dialogue and poetic flourishes to delight young readers.