“Adults follow paths. Children explore. Adults are content to walk the same way, hundreds of times, or thousands; perhaps it never occurs to adults to step off the paths, to creep beneath rhododendrons, to find the spaces between fences.” An eerie but captivating story about a boy who stumbles upon a family down the lane. Three women with secrets take him in with open arms, and help him through a myriad of adventures that he definitely wasn't prepared for. Lettie, the 11-year old powerhouse is one of my favorite characters I've ever had the pleasure to meet. Gentle disclaimer: this book had my heart beating with fear, which doesn't happen too often.