Miss Clara Marie Stantonâs family may be eccentric, but they certainly arenât insane.
London, England, 1860
When Claraâs ex-fiancĂŠ begins to spread rumors that her family suffers from hereditary insanity, itâs all she can do to protect them from his desperate schemes, societyâs prejudice, and a lifetime in an asylum. Then Claraâs Grandfather Drosselmeyer brings on an apprentice with a
mechanical leg, and all pretense of normalcy takes wing.
Theodore Kingsley, a shame-chased vagabond haunted by the war, wants a fresh start far from Kingsley Court and the disappointed father who declared him dead.
Upon returning to England, Theodore meets clockmaker Drosselmeyer, who hires him as an apprentice, much to Claraâs dismay. When Drosselmeyer spontaneously disappears in his secret flying owl machine, he leaves behind a note for Clara, beseeching her to make her dreams of
adventure a reality by joining him on a merry scavenger hunt across Europe. Together, Clara and Theodore set off to follow Drosselmeyerâs trail of clues, but they will have to stay one step ahead of a villain who wants the flying machine for himselfâat any cost.
âUtterly charming! What an original and adorable story. Angela Bellâs debut is a book I can, without hesitation, highly recommend.ââJen Turano, USA Todaybestselling author