After spending weeks on the U,K. bestseller lists, Katherine Webb's debut novel has arrived here. This is a beautifully written, enthralling tale--part historical novel, part present-day intrigue of buried family secrets, tied together seamlessly without sacrificing either of the two parallel tales at its heart.
Sisters Erica and Beth have been willed the Calcott mansion by their deceased witch of a grandmother, Meredith. As children, they spent summers with Meredith, who harbored a furious hatred for a local band of kindly gypsies--but why? The sisters haven't been back to the estate in more than 20 years, not since their animal-torturing bully of a cousin Henry disappeared. Erica is determined to unravel the secret of Henry's decades-old disappearance, if only to save the sanity of the slowly unraveling Beth.
Meanwhile, alternating chapters take us back to the stunning, fragile Caroline (Meredith's mother) in 1900s Oklahoma. We watch, transfixed, as she morphs from a loving, sensitive beauty into a bitter, self-centered wreck. The circumstances and choices leading to Caroline's downfall are gripping, especially given how her behavior affects her descendants years later.
As spellbound as you will be by the authentic mood, perfect setting and fascinating characters in this tremendous novel, Webb's ending packs a punch that doesn't disappoint. --Natalie Papailiou, author of blog MILF: Mother I'd Like to Friend