The Nightingale of St. Barthelemy — Hayden Thorne

Orphaned and destitute, sisters Yolanthe and Ninette Briard have somehow managed to survive hunger and cold and find comfort in each other's company as well as Yolanthe's music. The older Briard girl is gifted with an exquisite voice, which she uses to earn enough money for their daily subsistence and to entertain her fragile younger sister.

One harsh winter, Ninette falls dangerously ill, spurring Yolanthe to brave the cold and continue her singing at St. Barthélémy's square, where she attracts the attention of a potential benefactress who promises a rosy future for her and her sister. Yolanthe quickly learns that the path to a happier future might not be as straightforward as she'd first believed.

A lesson about sacrifice and selflessness will come in the guise of a strange gentleman in black, and fifteen-year-old Yolanthe will have to depend on what little knowledge of the world she has to bargain for borrowed time.