by Jane Langton
First published 1969
Eddy and Eleanor Hall know their family stands apart from others in Concord. Their house alone marks them as different from their neighbors. The siblings accept this oddness as normal until they venture into parts of their home they have never seen before. In the attic, they find a room that changes everything they thought they knew. Stained glass throws colored light across abandoned playthings. Two beds sit ready for occupants, covers pulled tight and pillows fluffed. The room feels like it waits for someone to return. The discovery forces Eddy and Eleanor to question what they know about their family. The house holds secrets that reach back through generations. Each clue they uncover reveals another mystery about the people who came before them. The empty beds seem to call to them, suggesting the room was meant for children exactly like themselves. The Hall siblings must decide whether to unlock the truth their extraordinary house has kept hidden for so long.
Genres: fiction, family-life, 20th-century, mystery, fantasy
Vibes: atmospheric, emotional, thought-provoking, whimsical
Tropes: found-family, hidden-past
Setting: Concord
Period: 20th-century
242 pages · Hardcover · Hamish Hamilton