The Shuttered Room

A real breath of hot, French air comes with this fascinating novel set in the south of France. Seventeen-year-old Alison takes a holiday job as a nanny in St Secrets, a village high in the mountains near Montelimar. The village appears to be stuck on the top of a mountain, populated by old people, and weird ones at that if grand'm$eGre and grand-p$eGre are anything to go by. The saving grace is Elly, the baby she's to look after, who turns out to be a delight. On looking through a drawer in her room, Alison finds an old diary and begins to piece together the secrets which have split this family both in their home and villages. A captivating story by a talented writer.