Plot
Carrie Willow and her brother Nick are evacuated to Wales during the Second World War. They stay with the bullying Mr. Evans, and his gentle but weak sister, whom they call "Auntie Lou." The children befriend another young evacuee, Albert Sandwich, who is staying with Mr. Evans' other sister, the dying Mrs Gotobed and her helper Hepzibah who Mr Evans thinks is a witch. They also befriend Mrs. Gotobed's distant cousin Mr. Johnny Gotobed who has cerebral palsy, and her housekeeper, Hepzibah Green. The housekeeper tells the children about a curse on the family which concerns a skull kept in the library. According to the tale, the curse would activate if the skull is removed from the house. Later in the book, Carrie, in a fit of anger, throws the skull out of the window into the outside pond. The next day as they depart on a train, she sees the house burning, and this leads her to believe that she caused it by throwing the skull out of the window.
Later their mother comes to visit them but nothing is said about Mr Evans. Carrie's birthday arrives and Albert kisses her on the cheek for a present and she is overjoyed by this. Mrs Gotobed passes away after this. The children believe Mr Evans has stolen her will so that Hepzibah and Mr Johnny are out of his deceased sister's house. Auntie Lou meets an American soldier called Major Cass Harper and becomes very friendly with him (keeping this secret from her brother who would not approve). Mrs Willow sends a letter saying to come home and so they try to reveal the truth of the stolen will. Auntie Lou departs to marry Major Cass Harper at this point.
Thirty years later, Carrie's children return and discover that Hepzibah, Mr Johnny and Albert are still alive and that the fire was from Mr Johnny playing with matches. Mr Evans was revealed dead after a few weeks of grief; loneliness and of his sister's departure to America, many years earlier.
Read more about this topic: Carrie's War
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“The plot was most interesting. It belonged to no particular age, people, or country, and was perhaps the more delightful on that account, as nobody’s previous information could afford the remotest glimmering of what would ever come of it.”
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