Esme has never fitted in – she is very much her own person, but is this because she is an individual, or rather because she is mentally unstable? In Edwardian society, with its rigid social structure, Esme is an embarrassment to her family. She is placed into a psychiatric hospital in Edinburgh, and there she languishes for over half a century, until the institution closes and a distant relative, a young woman called Iris, is sent to get her.

In many ways Iris mirrors Esme, but in a different time and culture where her individuality is an asset. Was Esme therefore just a victim of her time? Thrust into a totally unexpected situation of having to care for this eccentric old lady, Iris has to decide where her loyalties lie.

The novel also examines the relationship between Esme and her sister Kitty; Kitty’s actions are understandable but are they justified? The effects of dementia lend a twist to the main theme of mental health and identity. The book contains several other clever and unexpected twists, the more shocking for being based on historical evidence and how people’s attitudes have changed since the first half of the 20th Century.

A very moving and powerful novel, which will stay with you long after you have finished reading it.