As a confirmed Anglophile who enjoys period pieces I find Kate Morton’s mix of modern day and “old England” to be very engaging. Her latest book story begins with Edie’s visit to Milderhurst Castle where the sisters Blythe have lived in seclusion all their long lives. Saffy and Percy take care of the daily living tasks and care for their younger sister, Juniper, who hasn’t been the same since “it” happened in 1941. The work contains aspects of gothic mystery and romance, the struggles of rural England during World War II, and the every-present clash of generations. All of this is woven around the story in a children’s book called The Mud Man, written by the sisters’ father. The book’s atmosphere is such that the reader can all but smell the mustiness of a castle, long-neglected but full of haunting memories.