The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman

The Gilded Girl, a magical take on A Little Princess, takes readers to an alternative turn-of-the-century New York City.

The Gilded Girl by Alyssa Colman. Farrar Straus Giroux, 2021, 344 pages.

Reading Level: Middle Grades, 10-12

Recommended for: ages 10-14

Emma Harris is not as excited as her father seems to be about enrolling her in Miss Posterity’s Academy for Practical Magic. But now that Emma is approaching the age for kindling, she must learn how to do it safely, and Miss Posterity’s establishment is said to be the finest in New York City.

Though missing him terribly, she tries to make the best of it, and “the best” isn’t bad. She has the finest bedroom in the house, the prettiest dresses, and a houseful of society girls dying to be her best friend. It all comes crashing down, however, with news of her father’s death in the San Francisco earthquake. Compounding misfortune upon tragedy, Papa also racked up enormous debts that he had not had the opportunity to repay. Overnight, Emma falls from pampered favorite to barely-tolerated pauper, sharing a drafty attic room with the resentful scullery maid Izzy.

This magical take on A Little Princess will enchant fantasy fans, and perhaps even recruit new fans. Emma’s transformation from well-meaning-but-clueless little rich girl to bold campaigner for human rights is a little too fast but gratifying nonetheless. The divide she and Izzy have to cross in order to become friends makes for interesting character dynamics, and Izzy has her own form of pride to overcome. As much as anyone, she needs the reminder that “Even with magic, people still need each other.”  The mystique of “kindling” could stand in for self-discovery and actualization: “The light that shines from within reveals us for who we truly are.”  I found it interesting that a rushing wind and flames of fire also accompanied the coming of the Holy Spirit in Acts 1—another kind of revelation. The terrors of an unsuccessful kindling, though not graphic, might be a little intense for sensitive readers.

Overall Rating: 3.75

• Worldview/moral value: 3.5
• Artistic/literary value: 4

Read more about our ratings here.

Also at Redeemed Reader:

• Reviews: Other MG fantasy novels with a special appeal to girls: Tuesdays at the Castle and If the Magic Fits.
• Reflection: Magic has become increasingly popular in middle-grade historical and realistic fiction. But “Where Does the Magic Come From?”

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