“The relationship of Tolly and his grandmother is a very fine achievement. I loved the way they communicated and that they ate in the kitchen in front of the fire and shared their stories and adventures; it felt real and true.”
“His great-grandmother was sitting by a huge open fireplace where logs and peat were burning. The room smelled of woods and wood-smoke. He forgot about her being frighteningly old. She had short silver curls and her face had so many wrinkles...”
“The entrance hall was a strange place. As they stepped in, a similar door opened at the far end of the house and another man and boy entered there. Then Toseland saw that it was only themselves in a big mirror. The walls around him were partly rough stone and partly paster, but hung all over with mirrors and pictures and china.”
“Tolly’s discovery of the “other” children and the mouse and so many remarkable things in the garden are appreciated as extraordinary but without a sense of incredulity.”
“There are three children: Toby, who rides the majestic horse Feste; his mischievous little sister, Linnet; and their brother, Alexander, who plays the flute.”
“A little boy was sitting in the corner of a railway carriage looking out at the rain, which was splashing against the windows and blotching downward in an ugly, dirty way. He was not the only person in the carriage, but the others were strangers to him.”
“Their relationship is beautifully articulated. It made me long for such a bond - where the sharing of thoughts, memories, ideas and emotions is expected and welcomed. Theirs was a mutually nurturing connection.”