A teenage girl, on an extended visit to her aunt's in Scotland, becomes obsessed by looking out at a window across the way - a window no one but her is convinced is more than a clever bit of trompe l'oeil. The more she looks, the more she seems to see... and all her aunt's elderly friends cluck in concern as if they know more than they're telling...
This ghost story is exceptional - it truly captures the mental state of a lonely, bookish young person, and although quietly told, creates an effective sense of dread. ( )

Margaret Oliphant published this Gothic novella in 1896. I found it through Gaslight - an internet discussion group - which provided the book as an e-text.

The story takes place in Scotland and is narrated by a young girl who is visiting her Aunt Mary. Bored by Mary's tea parties with her elderly friends, the narrator spends much of her time tucked away in a large window with her sewing and books while she idly listens to the older people talk. When the conversation turns to a window across the street, the narrator's imagination is inflamed.

Oliphant carries the reader forward with the simple, yet mysterious plot. The reader, along with the narrator begins to ask herself what is real and what is not.

The story is not just pure mystery, but stimulates some compelling questions about how we see the world - and if our 'vision' declines with age. How much of what we see do we interpret correctly?

'It is always interesting to have a glimpse like this of an unknown life - to see so much and yet know so little.' -From The Library Window-

A classic tale which reads quickly, I would recommend this book for those readers who enjoy late 19th century literature and gothic mysteries. ( )