Castles in the Air

The biggest question throughout the book is, “How can they afford this?”, where the word this stands for not only the large project of restoring Gwydir Castle, but for the 10,000+ small projects that make up that restoration. It is stated clearly at the start of the book that they absolutely cannot afford this property, but with some vague talk of a mother's bargaining skills and a loan they somehow pull it off. Likewise, they continually talk about these endless projects - new roofs, new walls, repairs along every square inch - and yet they only sporadically have jobs and for most of the book do not take in paying guests. I would love to see some of the prices for the restoration and the furniture they buy to go along with it; the closest we get is learning that during a bidding war for a chair at an auction they had to back out when the number crested five digits.

This question of money is the part that required the most suspension of disbelief for me, and that is saying a lot considering that we have a ghost story to deal with partway through. But if you can get past all that, it is a fantastic book of falling passionately in love with a particular place and time. The author's description of how the castle makes her feel connected to the past in a visceral, immediate, shock-and-awe way rings true for me because I've felt that twice in my life and have chased it ever since. It is a delight to read about two people whose interests run not broad but deep, very deep, into one particular time and place, and their happiness and satisfaction with their choices swept me along.