The only child of a baronet, Richenda was content with her mostly solitary life at their family castle, home of the Barlow family since 1373. But when her father hired a widowed mother of two as the new assistant for his Alpine nursery, and the entire Browning family moved into the adjacent lodge, Richenda soon found herself fast friends with the daughter, Annabel. As the two girls embarked upon a series of adventures, from restoring an old folly to searching for the legendary lost Barlow "treasure," a different kind of drama was unfolding between their parents...

This short novel offers a quiet but engaging family story, well-written and well-paced. The occasional moments of excitement are worked so seamlessly into the narrative, that the overall effect is somehow one of engaged tranquility. Fry's affection for her characters, particularly Richenda and her dog Andy, is quite clear, and the end-product is an endearing family story.

Like Fry's September Island, this title is also illustrated by the wonderful Margery Gill, one of my favorite children's novel illustrators. ( )