Fished from the river as an infant and raised by a gang of young pickpockets who call themselves the Crown, eight-year-old Duck has only known an itinerant life of petty larceny governed by strict loyalty to the group’s derisive leader, Gnat. It is a life of always being on the run until the ragtag group settles into an abandoned, unfinished cathedral in the French town of Odierne. It’s all part of a bold new plan hatched by Gnat designed to keep his group fed. Duck will apprentice to the local baker, a kindly woman named Griselde, pilfering the bread and coins that will relieve some of the pressure the kids are under to steal what they need. Despite a reluctance to leave the only family she has ever known, Duck agrees to the scheme, working alongside the gentle baker. As Duck unexpectedly discovers a talent for baking, however, her allegiances start to blur. Who is she really – a Crown or an apprentice with a growing connection to her mentor? Meanwhile, an old and ugly gargoyle on the roof of the unfinished church grows weary of waiting to fulfill his own destiny – to watch and protect. Told in alternating viewpoints, this timeless tale will appeal to lovers of medieval stories like The Tale of Despereaux and The Thief Lord.