In Cranbury-on-Sea Aunt Maria rules with a rod of sweetness far tougher than iron and deadlier than poison. Strange and awful things keep happening in Cranbury. Why are all the men apparently gray-suited zombies? Why do all the children—if you ever see them—behave like clones? And what has happened to Mig's brother, Chris? Could gentle, civilized Aunt Maria, with her talk and daily tea parties, possibly have anything to do with it? Diana Wynne Jones once again has created a fantastic, magical world. Her brilliant storytelling and wonderful sense of humor totally involve the reader in the lives of a lovable young heroine and a villainess readers will love to hate.

"By the Light of the Soul: A Novel" by Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman Mary Eleanor Wilkins Freeman was an American author who was popular among fans of domestic fiction. This book follows Maria Edgham, a young girl in New Jersey. Her faith and family are the pillars she uses to help navigate the world. Simple, small-town life and dramas that come with it are explored in heartwarming and heartwrenching detail through the eyes of this young character.