Olivia, a girl who cannot speak and does not have a home, does not know much about her past except what her mother wrote in a journal, including her mother's last message, "You will be safe as long as you stay away from Gallant." When she is invited to Gallant by her uncle, a whole new, vibrant world is opened up for Olivia.

Seeing the world through Olivia's eyes was a wonderful experience. The descriptive personification of the house made a beautiful yet haunting setting. I enjoyed following this story, and while I will agree with others that it was a slower paced book, I did not mind.

If you decide to listen to the audiobook like I did, it is helpful to see the book for some of the journal entries and illustrations. Plus the illustrations are beautiful. I ended up borrowing both the ebook and audiobook from my library.