Miri lives on a mountain where, for generations, her ancestors have quarried stone and lived a simple life. Then word comes that the kingís priests have divined her small village the home of the future princess. In a yearís time, the prince himself will come and choose his bride from among the girls of the village. The kingís ministers set up an academy on the mountain, and every teenage girl must attend and learn how to become a princess.
Miri soon finds herself confronted with a harsh academy mistress, bitter competition among the girls, and her own conflicting desires to be chosen and win the heart of her childhood best friend. But when bandits seek out the academy to kidnap the future princess, Miri must rally the girls together and use a power unique to the mountain dwellers to save herself and her classmates. [from publisher's web site]
Association for Mormon Letters Award 2005 (young adult)
American Library Association Notable Book 2006
Newbery Honor book 2006