The Magic of Ramblings is one of those books that is difficult to put down. Like the magic of the house, the book draws you in and wraps its arms around you and offers you comfort as it did Cassie. The story begins in an intriguing way when Cassie applies for a job as a ladies companion in a big old mansion. She is running away from a past that threatens to catch up with her and Kate Field has cleverly woven little snippets of what she is running away from to pique the readers interest right from the very beginning.

Cassie builds up a warm and affectionate relationship with Frances, the lady of the house but is not made welcome by Barney, her grumpy and very hostile nephew who is suspicious of Cassie and her motives for taking the job. However, underneath his hardened exterior lies someone with a past he is also running from. Throughout the book there is a warm and loving community where both Cassie and Barney feel renewed and drawn to the heart of the community despite their best efforts to resist. Cassie's very desperate loneliness, particularly at the beginning of the book was heartbreaking and I couldn't help feel invested in her character. It was great to see her as a character evolve and become stronger. Frances was such an interesting and worldly wise old character and I loved her! Sometimes she was a bit abrupt but Cassie didn't seem to take much notice of it. She simply got on with things. Not sure how I would have felt about someone telling me how awful my hair was and getting someone in to fix it!

I really enjoyed this book and its very obvious right from from the beginning that Kate Field is a very talented writer. Highly recommended.