A lovely story with surprisingly nuanced characters. McKay takes a slightly feminist stance, providing back story on why Miss Minchin is the way she is, and giving Lavinia some depth and a chance at heroics. Lottie is a hoot, and Ermengard, the main character, is a believable adolescent struggling to find happiness and her own place in the world. It's sweet, yes, and has a tidy little happy ending, but fans of the original story and anyone looking for a nice old-fashioned tale (with a bit of a contemporary twist) should be pleased.