Dimanche Dillar

An engagingly odd, semi-comical, neo-Gothic tale about an orphaned heiress who falls into the hands of a villainous pseudo-guardian, masquerading as a nun. Dimanche Dillar's childhood is full of suspiciously close encounters with death, averted by her heroic and eccentric governess. As Dimanche approaches adulthood her guardian's patience evaporates, and the subsequent alarums and excursions involve a gypsy rover, a gravedigger, and an old gardener in the broil, as well as a comical copper, two ghosts and a brace of genuine nuns in the victory celebrations. When selecting an in audience for this book, take into account the largely female cast and the extreme scarcity of dull moments.