Maupin is one of Americas finest storytellers.--Neil Gaiman Set in the early 1990s the long-awaited tenth novel in Armistead Maupins beloved and enduring Tales of the City series follows the adventures of Mona Ramsey now the widowed Lady of a glorious old manor in Britains golden Cotswolds and her fabulous adopted son Wilfred as they come to the aid of an American visitor with a troubling secret. When Mona Ramsey married Lord Teddy Roughton to secure his visa--allowing him to remain in San Francisco to fulfill his wildest dreams--she never imagined she would by age 48 be the sole owner of Easley House Teddys grand romantic country manor in the UK. She also didnt imagine that shed need to open the manors doors to paying guests to afford the electric bill and repair the leaking roof. Yet somehow she and her young friend Wilfred--whom guests assume is serving as Easleys charming-but-clumsy butler--and the loopy old gardener Mr. Hargis are making it work. This delicate equilibrium is upended when Americans Rhonda and Ernie Blaylock arrive for a weekend vacation at Easley and Wilfred stumbles onto their terrible secret. Now instead of being able to focus on the imminent arrival of her old friend Michael Tolliver and beloved parent Anna Madrigal Mona will need to focus all of her considerable charm willpower and wiles--and the help of Wilfred and Monas girlfriend Poppy the towns postmistress and local calligraphy whiz--to set things right before the Midsummer ceremony when the whole town will descend on Easleys historic grounds.
