"On a gloomy November night, eleven-year-old Tiphany Stokes saves an old lady from collapsing in the street. An antique doll named Gretel watches them, longing for Tiph to rescue her from life in a shop window. Though none of these three characters realizes it, their worlds are about to change: Gretel will no longer be a precious prisoner. The old lady-is she a witch?-will discover the secret hidden in her long-neglected dollhouse. And Tiph-whose parents rejoice that she is "never any trouble"-will become a thief, a dog walker, an actor, and best of all, a friend"--