After the tragic deaths of her parents, Emmeline, who’s gifted with the ability to see the future, is separated from her sister and forced into the service of the cruel and abusive Mr. Chitwood. He disguises the 11-year-old girl as a boy and forces her to perform a fortune-telling act for wealthy clients. Its success leads Chitwood to consider taking Emmeline from America to England to perform for the king, and she fears that she may never see her sister again. Recognizing the power of Emmeline’s gift, a kind woman helps her escape and sends her to Mr. Imason, a schoolmaster in Tarrytown, New York. Imason promises to hide Emmeline from Chitwood and his imposing manhunter, Doon, and while in his care, she’ll aid the rebel cause by using her visions to help predict troop movements as the Revolutionary War looms. Hidden in Tarrytown, she takes a new identity—Roo—and befriends two other children who are also living without their parents: Izzy, a chatty and headstrong student and school custodian, has lost her mother and remains separated from her soldier father; River, a formerly enslaved runaway, has lost his father and has been away from his mother for the past four years. As tension between Patriots and Loyalists escalates, the children get to know a colorful cast of characters in the community, including Helga, a reclusive so-called “witch”; Mo, a friendly miller; and a mysterious ghost known as the Lady in White. Over the course of the novel, Fitzhugh employs well-crafted prose and creative descriptions (“her rifle, green with age, looked about ready to sprout mushrooms”) to build an immersive world that will keep readers engaged. Although the narrative becomes somewhat unfocused in the middle, introducing many different players and incorporating several new subplots, the main characters’ compelling personalities and the fast-paced action will keep readers hooked.
