There were only eleven of them, like eleven sisters all the same age in a large family. Because it was such a very small class, they had a very small classroom, which was perched at the very top of the school. 'Today, girls,aid Miss Renshaw, 'we shall go out into the beautiful garden and think about death.' So off they go, and in the garden they meet a poet - a dreamy young man with a voice like an owl who takes them to a cave at the nearby beach. The girls wait while the poet and Miss Renshaw explore the cave. They wait. And they wait. And they wait. But Miss Renshaw and the strange man never reappear. So the girls make their way back to school alone. As the days turn into weeks and innuendo turns into scandal, they remain loyal to Miss Renshaw. But what really happened that day on the beach? And do the girls know more than they are letting on? A haunting and unforgettable novel from a multi-award winning author.
