Set in the sixties in Britain, this novel introduces many interesting characters from very young to very old. Each has a story that intertwines with the others in the novel. For older readers references to crimplene dresses, Playtex underwear, and other items evocative of the time brings a smile. Free-range children who take risks that would be appalling to today’s parents are the story tellers of much of the book. Readers are given more information along they way, but will still probably find the resolution of the tale surprising if not shocking. Alison knight writing is delightfully easy to read with a distinctly subversive undertone, and a mordant humour. Although the characters are flawed, they are not mocked, but sympathetically observed.