UMary Higgins Clark ukwimo entle. Kwiminyaka engama-90 ubudala, usabambe ipeni yakhe ngokuqinileyo ukubonisa iinoveli ezinje. Mnyama njengolwandle. Uluvo oluphambili lwenoveli, isindululo sayo sokuqala sinamaqhinga amaninzi kwisihloko esithandabuzekayo, indawo evaliweyo, ukubulala, izaphuli-mthetho ezininzi ezinokwenzeka kunye nophando oluhlanjululwe phakathi kwemikhondo eyahlukeneyo ethi, njenge-meanders, ikhokele umfundi izisombululo ezijikayo nezothusayo.
Ukubheja komfundi ukuba abambeke kunikezelwa kwangoko xa uCelia Kilbride engena kwi-Queen Charlotte. Ukusebenza kwakhe njengesacholo esidumileyo kuzisa uLady Emily Haywood kufutshane ne-octogenarian potentate, umnini wezinto ezixabisekileyo, kubandakanya nomgexo anethemba lokunikela ngawo kumyuziyam ngenxa yozuko lwemyuziyam kunye nokubengezela kweendwendwe zayo.
Inenekazi uEmily, njengoko umntu enokucinga ngokujonga ulwaphulo mthetho oluqhelekileyo, ugqibela ngokufa. Kodwa le nto iba kuphela kwento enokuqikelelwa. Ukusukela ngalo mzuzu ukuya phambili, ukuvela kwesakhiwo kuyenzeka ukuba umfundi angakwazi ukusishiya. Phakathi kwabakhweli abaninzi kunye nabasebenzi benqanawa, izizathu zolwaphulo-mthetho kunye nokubiwa okufanayo komgexo kuyadutyulwa kuyo yonke indawo.
Ukuba namabhongo kungunobangela osisiseko wokwenza ulwaphulo-mthetho kwezi mpawu. Phambi kokuba inqanawa ifike kwizibuko, ityala kufuneka livaliwe ukuze ukungabikho kokusesikweni kungagqityi ukuxutywa xa inqanawa iqulethwe ngezinto zangaphandle ezinokugqwetha okwenzekileyo.
Ewe kunjalo, noCelia uya kuchaphazeleka ngokuthe ngqo ngalo mbandela. Ukukhangela kwakhe umgwebi kuya kumbeka engozini ezayo. Inqanawa njengendawo ye-claustrophobia kunye ne-suspension. Ukulinganisa okungafaniyo noCelia ukuhlala kwezi ndawo zixakekileyo kwisisombululo setyala, ukuba alicaciswanga ngokukhawuleza, lingabeka uCelia engozini.
Ulwandle lunokuginya umzimba ngaphandle kokuwuqaphela. Ukuba uCelia ungena nzulu kulo mbandela, ukuba uyakwazi ukusondela kakhulu kumbulali, ulwandle olumnyama lunokuphela lisisiphelo sakhe ...
Ungayithenga inoveli ngoku Mnyama njengolwandleIncwadi entsha kaMary Higgins Clark, apha: