victory does not come without sacrifice. Near the novel's end, the child's tutor arrives in the city to aid her; knowing that the citizens will not accept her as queen without the prophetic appearance of a burning angel the tutor douses himself with kerosene, lights a match, and as the people of the city watch, throws himself from an enormous tower to the city square below: "They say that as he fell, he flew, tumbling and wheeling in the air in slow motion, his arms outspread with all his strength, the fire trailing like the tail of a comet". It is not until this final act that the 10-year-old girl is able to open the doors of the palace to find the city bowing before her. Awards A City in Winter won the World Fantasy Award for Best Novella in 1997. References External links A City in Winter at www.markhelprin.com 1996 American novels 1996 fantasy novels Novels by Mark Helprin Novels by Chris Van Allsburg Picture books by Chris Van Allsburg World Fantasy Award for Best Novella winners American children's novels 1996 children's books