When Maude Gower is orphaned in 1876, she is sent from London to the countryside to live with a woman whom her relatives, including her beloved brother, despise. Maude's mind-awakening experiences with the dreaded guardian—actually a kind bluestocking—along with some fraught visits from her brother, leave the young girl on uncertain footing. But in the final chilling chapters, dear reader, you may find yourself on the shakiest ground of all.