When Fenella learns that she is a fairy changeling, she sets out to return to her own people, but instead meets up with Nell, the human girl whose place she took, who is herself escaping from the Little People. Together the girls wander Ireland, encountering tinkers (Travelers), farmers, and peat-cutters, and picking up a menagerie of stray animals along the way.

This is a rather odd book, and I am still unsure as to whether I like it or not. It is not really a fantasy, save for the occasional references to the "Little People," who never really materialize. It is more of an "wandering child" type adventure, in which the heroine(s) eventually find a home, with plenty of "animal-story" appeal to please intermediate readers. Much like Fry's book Mungo however, I found my suspension of disbelief wearing somewhat thin, not with regards to the fantasy elements of the story, but in relation to the human behavior depicted. It seemed odd that no one from Fenella's human family would pursue her, or that the many adults the girls encounter don't seem more concerned at the prospect of two young girls wandering the countryside. This may be one of those children's books that just doesn't translate well for adults.

Like The Secret of the Ron Mor Skerry, this was illustrated with the author's own delicate black and white drawings. ( )