Duck was saved from the river as a baby by the Crowns, a group of child thieves who band together for survival. At eight years old, Duck knows they saved her life, but she also feels resentment and fear for the group's leader, Gnat. She mostly tries to stay quiet and out of the way, but when the Crowns move into a new town, Gnat has a plan to keep them in coin and bread for the foreseeable future. One of them will pose as the baker's apprentice and slip bread and money to the Crowns right under the baker's nose. And he's decided Duck will take on this job.
Despite her nerves, getting a position as Griselde Baker's assistant is not a problem. Despite the fact that her assistant doesn't trust Duck, the plan continues to work perfectly. But it doesn't take long for Duck's heart to be pulled in two directions. The Crowns saved her and kept her alive all these years, but the blind baker gives her a taste of warmth, comfort, and love she's never known before.
Meanwhile, a grouchy gargoyle sits atop an uncompleted cathedral. He watches everything that happens, but he is unable to perform his duties as a protector because the cathedral was never completed. For almost one hundred years, he has only been able to watch and complain.
Linsday Eagar is one of my favorites because her books are always unusual and creative. This one is no exception. It's a beautiful story about found family and the things we do for the ones we love. The last few chapters of the book take various characters on a journey of seeking and granting forgiveness that really take this story to a deeper level. Highly recommended.
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