' Edith's house interested us from the beginning' Mysterious & inviting, Jessie & Margaret are drawn to their reclusive neighbour's house. It offers an escape from the dreary summer of 1977 & their fragile family life, into a world they can only dream about. When the house suddenly burns down at the same time as their mother moves out to live with her new boyfriend, & their father develops an unhealthy crush on a woman in their street, life seems bleak for the girls. Escaping the claustrophobia of family life isn't easy, until the story of an eccentric & beautiful female explorer from the 1930s unfolds in a series of letters. In these letters she tells stories of far-flung places, secrets, doomed love & adventure. Her determination to live life to the full, risking everything cares about, holds untold consequences for all of them.