Rose must learn to accept her mother's sudden death in a road accident, and she does so through a series of supernatural adventures that lead to the death of her beloved grandpa as well. After their bereavement, Rose and her dad live in a kind of dream world, with neither admitting the other into their pain. Grandpa becomes more and more senile until the 'paying guest' arrives - Aunt Cat and her bird, Pretty Polly.ss From the beginning Rose smells evil in their presence and a connection with Tyger Pool, a local beauty spot being drained by developers. She is kept sane by her new friendship with Viola Rocket and her wonderfully zany family. Meanwhile, Aunt Cat soon has Rose's father proposing marriage, and only Rose and Grandpa can see the horror this will mean. Aunt Cat proves to be a sinister stepmother, a tiger-like figure, who is out to destroy them all. In a powerful denoument, grandpa dies defeating her supernatural powers, aided by the angel-figure of Mr. Eldis. In a soaring flight to the stars, Mr. Eldis takes Rosemary to meet grandpa and her mum. Then she knows 'the time was right for me to let them go'. The book is full of symbol and can be read on several levels, but even as a fantasy adventure story it would be hard to beat. The pain of loss is described through different characters, and the menace of evil is profoundly real.