When war comes to Madame Birch's School for Young Gentlewomen of Noble Character, Violet Tierat and her friend Kiera are whisked away to safety by Sgt. Ternathe, a stoic and handsome soldier. For Kiera, this is a stroke of good luck, as it postpones her marriage to an awful prince and gives her one last chance at escape. For Violet, it's the first step in a tragic chain of events that will force her into a position of leadership she neither prepared for nor wanted.