Abbas is just seventeen years old when he leaves his family to serve in the court of Tipu Sultan, a volatile and unpredictable ruler. An inspired woodcarver, Abbas is apprenticed to a master toy maker in order to build a massive tiger automaton, a gift to celebrate the return of the Sultan's sons from British captivity. Working alongside the legendary French clockmaker Monsieur Du Leze, Abbas hones his craft and learns to read French and then meets Jehane, the daughter of one of du Leze's fellow expatriats. When Du Leze is finally permitted to return home to Paris, he begs Abbas to accompany him--