The fourth book in the best-selling Jackie French historical series that places girls centre stage.

Ming Qong is convinced that girls have changed the world throughout history.

History's sister, the mysterious Herstory, believes that the more you know about the past, the better you can understand the future. And so she now sends Ming to work as a maid in an isolated English mansion to see a girl change the world in 1829.

But which girl? The young mistress of the house is lying in bed, recovering from the measles. Abandoned by her aristocratic mother and family, she may never walk – or even read and write – again.

Ming becomes friends with another scullery maid, Hepzibah, who is desperately teaching herself to read and longs to free slaves, as she and her parents had been. But what hope has a scullery maid?

From one of Australia's favourite writers comes an inspiring series for all the young people who will, one day, change the world.

AWARDS

CBCA Notable Book 2025