1893 – Illinois
Things aren’t always what they seem at the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair–
Emily Ralston finds more than she bargained for when she joins the crowds of young women making their way to Chicago in search of independence and adventure…
Working at the Children’s Building of the Chicago World’s Fair, Emily spends her days caring for children while their parents tour the great exposition.
Stephen Bridger, one of the fair’s Columbian Guards, brings a lost little boy to the building. Emily assures the handsome guard that the child will be well looked after until he can be reunited with his mother.
But at the end of the day, no one comes to claim little Adam. Rather than turn him over to the authorities, Emily decides to take care of Adam herself–with the help of her landlady, Mrs. Purvis–while she tries to locate the boy’s family.
Against his better judgment, Stephen is persuaded to join her in the search, but their quest isn’t as simple as they’d hoped. Each layer of Adam’s story unfolds to reveal still more layers beneath. And eventually, their intended good deed winds up threatening the safety of all three of them.
As the historic fair draws to a close, Emily and Stephen must find a way to solve a deadly mystery–and discover who Adam really is–before time runs out.