In this extraordinary debut novel with its deft nod to Dickensian heroes & rogues, Mira Bartok tells the story of Arthur, a shy, fox-like foundling with only one ear & a desperate desire to belong, as he seeks his destiny. Welcome to the Home for Wayward & Misbegotten Creatures, an institution run by evil Miss Carbunkle, a cunning villainess who believes her terrified young charges exist only to serve & suffer. Part animal & part human, the groundlings toil in classroom & factory, forbidden to enjoy anything regular children have, most particularly singing & music. For the Wonderling, an innocent-hearted, one-eared, fox-like eleven-year-old with only a number rather than a proper name
- a 13 etched on a medallion around his neck
- it is the only home he has ever known. But unexpected courage leads him to acquire the loyalty of a young bird groundling named Trinket, who gives the Home`s loneliest inhabitant two incredible gifts: a real name
- Arthur, like the good king in the old stories
- & a best friend. Using Trinket`s ingenious invention, the pair escape over the wall & embark on an adventure that will take them out into the wider world & ultimately down the path of sweet Arthur`s true destiny.