Book: The 27th Kingdom

Set in the 1950s, Alice Thomas Ellis's "The 27th Kingdom" is a whimsical and enigmatic tale that expertly intertwines the supernatural with the everyday. The narrative unfolds in a small, vibrant corner of Chelsea, London, where Aunt Irene, a pragmatic and slightly eccentric woman, runs a boarding house full of quirky characters. Her routine life takes an unexpected turn with the arrival of Valentine, a young novice nun sent from Wales. Valentine possesses a mysterious aura and peculiar abilities that unsettle and intrigue the household's eclectic residents.

As the story develops, Ellis weaves a rich tapestry of humor and tension, balancing the mundane with the mystical. The boarding house becomes a microcosm of human idiosyncrasies, with each character reflecting different facets of humanity and spiritual inquiry. Against this backdrop, themes of faith, love, and the search for meaning emerge, inviting readers to ponder the thin veil between the ordinary and the extraordinary. "The 27th Kingdom" is a delightful exploration of human nature and the unseen forces that subtly shape our lives.