Pretty heavy atmosphere. A woman named Anita, about age 30, is living in a state of near isolation for reasons that go unstated for the majority of the book. She has a faithful servant named Sarah who mothers her and tries to make some sort of life for the two of them. Pretty soon Sarah decides that they have enough money and should go live in Spain, a place Anita has longed to see. Once there they are able to rent a house with a dream garden. It's right next to the Alhambra, and Anita feels pretty certain she can live out the rest of her life in satisfaction inside the garden walls. However, a random meeting with a man shakes her complacency, especially when he seeks her out and confesses love at first sight (yeah, the handling there was kind of clumsy, but well within the usual for a turn-of-the-century romance).

Why is Anita struggling so hard against the chance to be happy? The answer, which lies in her past, is not nearly so disturbing as the solution that lies in her future. Kind of sad and just too heavy. Although it did make me curious about the Alhambra. ( )