First published 2013
Cecily and Jeremy Lockwood flee London's bombing threats as World War II begins. Their uncle Peregrine takes them in at Heron Hall, his countryside estate. The siblings settle into their new refuge until ten-year-old May Bright arrives as another evacuee. The Lockwoods expect a compliant child, but May proves bold and self-reliant. She refuses to follow the rules that govern their temporary home. May leads Cecily away from the safety of the estate to explore nearby ruins. The crumbling castle carries a frightening legend that the local people whisper about. Inside the ancient walls, the girls encounter something unexpected. This meeting opens a door into a dreamlike realm where past and present merge completely. Cecily must navigate between the ordinary world of wartime evacuation and this strange new reality that challenges everything she thought she knew.
Genres: historical-fiction, 20th-century, adventure, fantasy, world-war-ii
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, suspenseful
Tropes: fish-out-of-water, found-family
Setting: London, Heron Hall, Nearby Ruins
Period: World War II
288 pages · Paperback · Les Grandes Personnes