Any child can spark magic, but only the elite are allowed to kindle it. Miss Posterity's Academy for Practical Magic is the best kindling school in New York City—and wealthy, twelve-year-old Emma Harris is accustomed to the best. But when her father dies, leaving her penniless, Emma is reduced to working off her debts to Miss Posterity alongside Izzy, a fearless servant girl who refuses to let her own magic be snuffed out, even if society dictates that it must. Emma and Izzy reluctantly form a pact: If Izzy teaches Emma how to carry on as a servant, Emma will reveal to Izzy everything she knows about magic. Along the way, they encounter quizzes that literally pop, shy libraries, and talking cats (also known as house dragons). But when another student's kindling goes horribly wrong, revealing magic's fiery dangers, Emma and Izzy must set aside their differences or risk their magic being snuffed out forever. Heartfelt, fast-paced, and utterly absorbing, The Gilded Girl is Alyssa Colman's sparkling debut novel about determination, spirit, and the magic of friendship.