The gardener's daughter on an English estate in 1921, 13-year-old Lily has long adored Anthony, the thoughtless, impetuous 17-year-old son of Lockwood Hall's wealthy owner. While hard-working Lily generally keeps her feet on the ground, she's easily drawn into Anthony's mad plans, from helping him carry out an elaborate, moonlit party to parachuting out of the plane he has only recently learned to fly. Some of his schemes turn out brilliantly, while others end in tragedy. Peyton, who won Britain's Carnegie Medal in 1970, tells an involving story with an unusually long time frame. While most of the action takes place in the 1920s, the last few chapters follow the story through the '30s, '40s, and '80s. Peyton lays the groundwork so meticulously that even the most shocking plot twist seems credible in retrospect. Convincingly portrayed, the characters remain essentially the same through time, though their very experiences shift their perspectives in different ways. An engaging historical novel.

Lily, the daughter of a groundskeeper at a British country estate, is inexplicably drawn to Antony, the aristocratic family's son, who challenges and emboldens her but is also consistently selfish. Starting in the 1920s, the story traces their friendship over decades. Peyton's writing successfully evokes the historical setting, but the relationship between the two main characters feels dated and one-sided.

With this book, the 86-year-old Peyton celebrates her 70th year as a published author. For his 17th birthday, in 1921, white upper-class Eton student Antony Sylvester asks his father for an airplane. No one knows how his father makes his riches, but Antony and his deaf and blind sister, Helena, live in splendor on a palatial estate, Lockwood Hall, with an army of servants. Antony gets his plane, but only Lily, the 13-year-old daughter of the estate's head gardener, will dare go up in it with him. Antony then involves her in a complicated scheme to throw a house party in his father's absence, during which Helena drowns. Antony's father returns, murders a policeman, then forces Antony to fly him to France. Just when this melodrama is gathering steam, it falls apart entirely: Antony's father is never heard from again, the house is sold, Antony fumbles about trying to gain employment. Lily grows into an adult who never stops carrying a torch for wet, unambitious Antony. Peyton's writing is as smooth as ever; her evocation of English society and the early days of flight are all spot-on, but Antony's both unlikable and strangely powerless. Lily's more inspiring, but very little of the book is told from her perspective, and her continued adoration of Antony as she ages feels off. Not up to the standards of Peyton's best. (Historical fiction. 12-16)

A spirited heroine propels this historical novel from Peyton (the Flambards series), which begins in 1921 at an estate in the British countryside. Thirteen-year-old Lily, the motherless daughter of the estate-s head gardener, harbors a not-so-secret love of her master-s spoiled, handsome, and charismatic son, Antony, and she will do anything he asks of her, including parachuting out of a plane he received for his 17th birthday. An atmospheric sense of place pervades Peyton-s story: Antony and his father occupy an -impressively gloomy- mansion, while his deaf and blind sister, Helena, lives in a beautiful annex cared for by nurses. An ill-fated party thrown by Antony for his posh Eton friends in a grotto, with Helena as the star attraction, turns tragic and coincides with the revelation of Antony-s father-s illegal dealings, which thrust Antony out of his life of privilege. The narrative rambles as the characters age (the book concludes in the 1980s), and the central premise of Lily-s enduring love for the inconstant Antony tests belief given his consistently shallow and selfish behavior. Ages 12-up. (Feb.)

Gr 8 Up-Set mostly in the early 1920s, this novel follows the lives of Antony and Lily. Antony is the son of a wealthy man, and he enjoys the privileges accorded to him because of his station in life. Lily's father is the head gardener for the Lockwood Estate, where Antony makes his home. While home on holiday, Antony and his small group of friends from the village have as many escapades as money and the lack of adult supervision will allow. Lily and her brother, Squashy, who has special needs, are tolerated as tagalongs. For Lily, this is the best part of her dreary life, because she believes herself to be in love with Antony. Lily follows him around, steadfast in her devotion, content to receive whatever crumbs of affection he chooses to bestow upon her. Antony, though, rarely gives her a thought unless he needs something from her. Despite warnings from her common sense and intuition, Lily commits many foolhardy acts at Antony's request, including putting her life in jeopardy. Antony is self-absorbed and rarely thinks things through, and the consequences of his actions seem to surprise him. He knows he can count on Lily's love for him; she is always around to pick up the pieces when life goes sour. VERDICT At best, a cautionary tale for young people who desperately pine for attention. Mildly interesting to readers who enjoy historical fiction set in the 1920s. Lisa Wurch, Cuyahoga County Public Library, OH