The first discovery that Julian and his cousin Portia made in the woods around their new summer home was the great rock with the Latin inscription: "Lapis Philosophorum, Tarquin et Pindar, 15 July 1891." The second was the swampy expanse that had once been a lake and was bordered by old and formerly elegant summer houses. The third, and by far the best discovery, was that two fascinating people lived in these apparently deserted houses.

For a long while Portia and Julian kept their marvelous discoveries to themselves, spending wonderful days exploring the old houses and hearing glorious stories of bygone times. Then one momentous day, Foster, Portia's smaller brother, trailed them and floundered into the Gulper, the swamp's dangerous quicksand. By the time he had been rescued, Gone-Away Lake was no longer a secret. The special world, now shared, proved even more joyous. And at last, the vine-entangled Villa Caprice, forgotten for fifty years, revealed its remarkable secrets.

With rare skill, Miss Enright has created a world of fascination and adventure peopled by real and unforgettable characters with whom the reader happily goes exploring until the last page is reached. Long after the book has been reluctantly closed, the place and the people will be remembered. 

From the dust jacket