When Heather La Fontaine, a forty-something widow, begins researching the history of the Franklin family of Westhangar Hall, Selborne, she finds herself part of a varied household beset by troubled relationships. A frightening encounter on her first day and a later shocking discovery relating to her daughter compel her to become deeply involved in their lives. As an unbeliever, Heather is also faced with a unsettling, almost overwhelming, dilemma when she falls for 'Chris the Christian' and for the village itself, described by Gilbert White as 'full of trees and therefore full of birds.' And there's also the neglected Walled Garden crying out for her care and attention. How could she bear to leave? This entertaining novel will appeal to anyone who loves the English countryside and can relate to the influence of a sympathetic, optimistic and humorous character on the difficulties faced by the Franklin family.