Overview

When she unearths the bones of a young child, Beverly Vernon's life is transformed in ways she never expected. Widowed Beverly Vernon, a displaced East Coast children's book illustrator and mother of two childless adult daughters, is finding it difficult to settle in rural Florida. Filling her days by painting the portrait of a longed-for imaginary grandchild, she is struggling to find meaning in her life. But everything changes when she uncovers the bones of a young child in her backyard. A child who evidently died through violent means. Determined to find out who the child was and how and why they died, Beverly notices that the portrait she's working on seems to change of its own accord - and that's not the only unexplained phenomenon taking place within her home. Is she being haunted - or is she going mad? In her efforts to uncover the truth behind the bones, Beverly finds her relationship with her two daughters coming under threat, and her faith and beliefs tested to their very limit.

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9781847519146

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At the start of this sprightly tale of longing and renewal from Edgar-winner Springer (Dark Lie), Beverly Vernon, a children's books illustrator who has recently settled in a small Florida Panhandle town following her husband's death, receives bad news from her literary agent in New York-her most recent book is unsalable. Depressed, she realizes that most of her contemporaries are filling their days by doting on grandchildren, something her two adult daughters are unlikely to provide. In this state of mind, she makes a start on a portrait of the ideal granddaughter: violet-eyed, golden-haired, and dressed for a party. That evening, while digging up some bricks in the backyard, she uncovers the skeleton of a small child. The following morning, Beverly notices that the portrait has been altered: the girl now has a grim expression. Is she going mad? So begins her quest to identify the buried child, whom the police believe to have been murdered. Beverly's wit and humanity keep this highly readable novel grounded when it blossoms into fully fledged fantasy. * Publishers Weekly Starred Review *

Author Information

Nancy Springer is the acclaimed author of more than 50 novels for adults, young adults and children, in genres including mythic fantasy, contemporary fiction, magic realism, horror, thriller and mystery. She has sold over 2 million copies worldwide and has won many awards including two Edgars and nominations for the Nebula, Hugo, Agatha and Lambda awards.

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