The Secret Place

Sarah and Susanna realise a childhood fantasy by making a den in an old air-raid shelter in the garden. But they aren't the first children to have played there. Their refuge is haunted by the dead joys and living fears of the elderly woman next door, who is reputed to be a witch. Over the course of the summer, the girls learn the history of their den, a process which involves them in a warmer witchcraft of healing and reconciliation. A fascinating story which might provide a good starting point for older children to explore the influences of the past on the present.