Elena Rudina lives in the impoverished Russian countryside with her mother, who is slowly dying in their tiny cabin. But then a train arrives in the village, carrying untold wealth, a cornucopia of food, and a noble family that includes Ekaterina, a girl of Elena’s age. When the two girls’ lives collide, an adventure is set in motion, an escapade that includes mistaken identity; a monk locked in a tower; a prince traveling incognito; and Baba Yaga, witch of Russian folklore, in her ambulatory house perched on chicken legs.

Mila has a talent for reading a room --- sensing hidden facts and unspoken emotions that others miss. So when her father’s friend goes missing from his home, Mila and her father come to find him. Slowly, she pieces the story together. But a shocking betrayal calls into question her trust in the one person she thought she could read best.