Before Eloise lies Gilded Age Manhattan, a city of dazzling wealth and bustling harbors at the close of the 19th century. But she is still just a young girl, living with her younger brother in their aunt’s cramped tenement. Five people share a single room with leaking walls, creaking floorboards, and drafty windows that whistle in the cold. Once they’ve paid the weekly rent, they can barely afford coal, let alone flour; every meal is nothing more than boiled potatoes, and between them all, they don’t have enough shoes for three good pairs. Watching the blizzard outside, Eloise feels a pang of worry—she doesn’t even own a thick scarf. Determined to turn things around, she decides to revive an old skill from her previous life. She’ll start by sewing a coat warm enough to withstand the winter.