Overview

A village haunted by stories. Two women bound by a secret.

Watching over the village of Haltington is an ancient carving in the ground, known to locals simply as the Face. It was first etched into the chalk when lives were ruled by superstition and stories; by fear of the unknown, of the shadows.

For centuries, the inhabitants of Bone Cottage have tended to it. But now that the Great War has decimated the population of even this most isolated of places, the Face stands neglected and overgrown.

When enigmatic outsider Kit moves into the cottage, the villagers are suspicious of her androgynous appearance and bohemian ways. In defiance of their disapproval, the vicar’s unmarried sister-in-law Florence finds herself inexplicably drawn to Kit, and the friendship that grows between them becomes a light in the dark for her.

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Florence has been summoned to live with her widowed brother-in-law and wayward niece in Haltington, a village with something uncanny in the air. According to locals, the chalk face carved into the hillside protects them from malevolent spirits. So long as it is maintained, all will be well.

The First World War has decimated the men of the village, and when the Face’s last caretaker dies, her sons both lost in France, there is nobody to replace her. Still, it’s only an old wives’ tale. Isn’t it?

Kit is an artist – unconventional, androgynous and traumatised by the events of the war. She seeks peace, and a muse – will she find both in the shape of Florence?