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George Morgan was comfortable with his life in the West Country, even if there were questions about his family that had never been answered. David and Megan, although not his real parents, cared for him like he was their own, and even their son James, while often irritating in a younger sibling way, wasn't a complete nuisance. Yet there was always something mysterious lurking below the surface, a hidden secret that often seemed to be reflected in the eyes and smile of Pearl, the enigmatic family nanny. Then one day everything changes as George is sent off to a private school. There he meets a man named Mr. Williams, an often shadowy figure who begins to appear to him in odd places such as on the family's trip to Wales to visit George's Aunt Louise. Once there, fantastic secrets will be revealed that will alter George's perception of reality and even himself forever.
In a short novel filled with dreams, strange happenings, and a deep undercurrent of a family's love that manages to overcome the barriers of death and time, Hyde has crafted a well-written and entertaining story. The author's description of the Welsh coastline is excellent, capturing the roar of the sea, the sand of the dunes, and the salty air in a way that immerses the reader in its ambiance. George's almost casual acceptance of ignorance about his parents early on seems odd at first, but as the mists of mystery are gently blown away and the truth of his existence and that of his friends and family is gradually revealed, his attitude is more understandable. Intriguing, eerie, and yet oddly comforting, this haunting, quiet tale of the supernatural is a pearl in its own right.
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