Family Secrets, Then and Now

At the onset of England's involvement in WWII, an orphan (Virginia) is adopted by a couple searching for happiness. As the story unfolds, we learn more and more about these two, their history, neighbors, and what demons haunt them. Lurking just on the other side of the garden wall is a marsh which Virginia has been warned away from strictly, as supposedly, it'll pull you right on down--the stuff of nightmares for a child. As this orphan tries to secure her place in this less-than-idyllic household, a plane crashes in the marsh. This sets into play a series of events which changes their lives forever. The story caroms from the perspective of an elderly Virginia, plotting her own demise, and her memories of those early days in a lush and tragic time. Moody and atmospheric, with relatable characters, both sympathetic and very much otherwise.