A story set in Victorian England with an orphan who moves to her uncles house. Her uncle is a man who is deeply involved in the local myths and legends and accepts them without question. Many years ago there was a conflict between his ancestors and the ancestors of the Dark Men and this has continued to this day, legend says that there will come a moon princess who will cure this rancor and allow all the people in the area to live together in harmony.

There are moments where this is quite a fun read but there are also moments that seemed to be a little too full of "look, here, allegory". Still not a bad read and I'm glad I picked it up. ( )

Cute little book. I like it. ( )

One of the sweetest, loveliest juvenile fantasies ever written. A product of a more innocent age, as attested to by the villain who goes around with 'a big, black cock' on his shoulder. ( )

At the time of publication in 1946 this would have been a children's fairy story. Now it is fantasy or historical magical realism. By setting the tale a century into the past Goudge was able to imbue it with a mixture of reality and whimsy that lent it a credibility that would be diminished in a contemporary setting. Some sixty years on, this consideration has been efluxed but the charming story of an orphan girl taken to stay with relatives in a magical landscape is timeless. ( )

This book was J.K. Rowling's favorite as a child, and helped inspire her 'Harry Potter' series. I can see why: the mixture of fantasy and mystery are present in both books, along with strong characters. ( )