Narrated by Mara Wilson
âMaupin is one of Americaâs finest storytellers.ââNeil Gaiman
Set in the early 1990s, the long-awaited tenth novel in Armistead Maupinâs beloved and enduring Tales of the City series follows the adventures of Mona Ramsey, now the widowed Lady of a glorious old manor in Britainâs 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 visaâallowing him to remain in San Francisco to fulfill his wildest dreamsâshe never imagined she would, by age 48, be the sole owner of Easley House, Teddyâs grand, romantic country manor in the UK. She also didn't imagine that sheâd need to open the manorâs 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 Easleyâs 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 wilesâand the help of Wilfred and Monaâs girlfriend Poppy, the townâs postmistress and local calligraphy whizâto set things right before the Midsummer ceremony when the whole town will descend on Easleyâs historic grounds.