Debut novelist Cathryn Constable fills her tale with color--and the lack thereof: a bland school under grey English skies, the blinding white of the Russian forests, the glittering sparkle of lost diamonds. An orphan, Sophie, is sent to boarding school after her father's death. The loss leaves her longing for a new home: "[I]f home is that place that you never want to leave... and if you leave it, you look for all your life."
Sophie and her friends are on their way to St. Petersburg, Russia, for their school break. But as they wait at a deserted train station, a large Cossack named Ivan arrives, claiming that Princess Volkonskaya is expecting them at the Volonsky Winter Palace. Sophie explores the palace with the Princess, searching for lost diamonds, and feels a haunting familiarity. This is confirmed when she sees the white wolves, historic guardians of the Volonskys, and recalls snippets of stories from her childhood that may have been more than fairy tales.
Constable's shift from journalistic writing may be noticeable to adults, but middle-grade readers will likely be carried along by the non-traditional setting and a sprinkling of Russian words (defined in a glossary in the back), which guarantee a special read. --Jessica Bushore, former public librarian and freelance writer