Spoilt rich kid Mia's world is turned upside-down when she is orphaned and whisked away to Mis Tor Manor on the edge of Dartmoor to live with her uncle and cousin Christopher. Mia is appalled to find herself in the remote countryside, in a freezing, crumbling manor. Grieving and missing her old life, she takes an instant dislike to Christopher, who never leaves his bedroom due to illness. Yet little by little, Mia starts to discover the beauty of this wintry world, and befriends local boy Daniel, who loves animals and teaches her how to ride a Dartmoor pony.
One day she discovers a hidden door, covered in brambles and ivy, which leads to a walled garden … A special, secret place which needs someone's care to bring it to life once again so nature can flourish.
Anthea Simmons is a vicar’s daughter and the eldest of six children. She grew up in Cornwall where she was pony and book-mad. After a highly-successful City career, she ‘retired’ to the country to bring up her son, ride, garden, write, paint and teach. More recently she has become involved in a social enterprise dedicated to improving diversity and inclusion in the UK’s board rooms through an apprenticeship scheme. This works brings her into contact with people from all backgrounds and has sharpened her awareness of the need for access to opportunity. She lives in East Devon with (in the holidays) her Chemistry undergraduate son Henry, and her polydactyl ginger cat, Caramac.