Life is harsh and miserable for Mouse, an orphan who was taken into a manor house when she was a baby. She now works very hard in the kitchens as a scullery maid doing the worst jobs and getting very little for her labors. Quick and intelligent, Mouse dreams of a better life, where she is never beaten or half-starved. One day, she takes some leftover food from a table; she is caught and horribly beaten. The scrawny little girl is terrified and makes a run for it.

Mouse is found in a ditch by three travelers who feed her and set her back on her feet. She travels with them and delights in the feeling of being part of a 'family'. Unfortunately, Mouse is soon alone again. One by one, her companions leave her until she finds herself in a bustling town with no idea what to do next, or how to get her next meal.

It is at this frightening moment that Mouse finds herself watching a puppet show. With growing interest and then rapt fascination, she watches the story unfold before her eyes. Mouse decides right then and there that she is going to become a puppeteer, no matter what.

By begging and pestering, Mouse manages to convince the puppeteer to take her on as an apprentice. In no time, Mouse develops a deep love for the puppets. She also learns that her master is not at all what he seems to be. There is some terrible secret that is pursuing the puppeteer and frightening him. One night, a terrible evil comes out of the darkness and attacks the puppeteer and the young girl.

With vibrant characters and a gripping story, D. Anne Love has created a fascinating world where life is difficult and where little mercy is shown to the young, the small and the weak. And yet, despite this, Mouse, the scullery maid, survives and becomes a strong, brave young woman who is able to choose her own path and find herself a new name.

   --- Reviewed by Marya Jansen-Gruber (mjansengruber@mindspring.com)