'Her territory isn't young or old; it's the heart-and brain-matter of people, their desires and worries and fantasies and intricate interactions.

All of this is set capably against a particular landscape, and the result tends to be vivid and real.

Beautiful, like Willa Cather' Meg Wolitzer, New York TimesThe barren, beautiful Cumbrian fells provide the bewitching setting for the adventures of Bill and Harry, two children who find wonder at every turn as they experience the Hollow Land.

Everyday challenges give a daring edge to this rural work and play.

There are mysteries to explore and uncover , like the case of the Egg Witch, and everyone is curious about the Household Name, a visitor from London, moving into the jewel of the territory, Light Farm. Gardam is at her best with this novel, which won the Whitbread award in 1981.