Book excerpt: Three children, Cassie and her two brothers Mick (at 13, one year younger than Cassie) and Wilf (8-years-old) discover a very old lady living a time-forgotten life in a nearby suburb. Her house is cut off from the world, she is largely self-sufficient but has a believable means by which she supplements her food requirements. Over the course of the story Miss McAllister moves from irascible and overbearing stranger to become the centre of the children's lives. Their own parents, caught up in their own lives, are on the periphery of their childrens. Miss McAllister provides stability, a much-needed sense of responsibility, a standard of ethical behaviour and ultimately, love. Miss McAllister provides a form of family togetherness.