Empress of the World

Nicola Lancaster arrives at a summer program for gifted teenagers more accustomed to friends from particular activities than to the ease of belonging in a group. Among the intense, articulate students at the Siegel Institute, she quickly meets people who begin to change that experience. One is Battle Hall Davies, a dancer from North Carolina whose differences from Nic make her especially intriguing. Their friendship develops into attraction, leaving Nic to question assumptions she has made about herself and the relationships she might want. The concentrated days of summer bring closeness and uncertainty together, as first love becomes inseparable from learning how to be honest within a new circle of friends. Understanding her feelings proves more complicated than identifying them.