What metaphors are used in Lost by Gregory Maguire?

Ruge House is a metaphor for the metaphysical. The Rudge House is in a quiet cul-de-sac on Holly Bush Hill in Hampstead. The Rudge House was built in the early nineteenth century by Winnie's great-greatg-great grandfather Ozias Rudge, then partitioned in the 1930s, so only the top floor flat remains in the family. The house is haunted throughout much of the story by the spirit of Gervasa.