Joanne Harris takes us back to the world of St Oswald's and tells the story of Rebecca Price, the first woman to become headmaster. She is determined to overthrow the old regime, and now not only boys, but also girls are allowed to study. But all plans collapse when human remains are discovered on the school grounds during construction work. Professor Roy Straitley is determined to figure it all out, but Rebecca defends the secrets left in the past day after day. This novel is a journey through the dark corners of the human mind, where memory, truth and facts melt away like mirages. Straitley and Rebecca desperately want to hide parts of their lives, but the past controls what we do, shapes us into who we are in the present, and nothing remains hidden.