I was thinking what to write and realised I needed to mark this as historical fiction (set in the 1930s). I was so caught up with the characters while reading, that I barely noticed the setting wasn't present-day. That's not to say that the setting was ambiguous, because it wasn't. It is, however, character-driven - and what an excellent cast of characters.

This is one of those nicely written novels aimed at 8-12 year-olds (and narrated by a child in that age group), but equally appealing to the adult reader. I loved the setting and the characters and the connection to their past. A well-spun story.