Submitted by Margaret Fiore 
(Jul 30, 2007)Mistress Masham's Repose is an interesting little story with a victimized heiress, some evil grownups with high social standing, and a little island populated by Lilliputians of the Gulliver's Travels variety. In T.H. White's typical "Sword in the Stone" manner, the central character (Maria) has a couple of moral lessons that she learns, and then a real and deadly struggle with the evil elders.
Maria lives in a huge, ruined mansion, on a huge, ruined estate - most kids' idea of heaven - but is not allowed to explore it freely. Her evil and abusive governess and guardian are working together to control her, and to take over her fortune.
In the "Sword in the Stone", the Wart has Merlin as his supporter and secret weapon; here, Maria has The Professor, a local charmingly absent-minded scholar, as her ally. When she discovers tiny people on the island (Mistress Masham's Repose) in the middle of the stream on the estate, he is the only person with whom she can share the discovery.
Even more than the "Sword in the Stone", this seems to be a book for young adults. However, T.H. White being who he is, the details are rich, and the situation complex enough to keep most mature readers engaged.
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