["The Magic Summer," American title of "The Growing Summer"] is a charming book, and also an empty one. Something has gone very wrong.

What has gone wrong with "The Magic Summer" is its magic. The components are promising: a manor house in Ireland, a mad old aunt and four nieces and nephews who are bundled off to her for the summer. So far, so good…. A runaway boy appears and takes up secret residence in the house, giving us hope of suspense. Here the plot falters, and we are burdened with so many pages of the children's attempts to cook and clean, iron and launder, that we begin to think that the author is more interested in home economics than fiction. This, of course, is unfair. She is trying to contrast the youngsters' cautious practicality with Aunt Dymphna's unfettered love of life, and show how each child receives...