I Capture the Castle by Dodie Smith

Dodie Smith (1896-1990) was an English novelist. She was a christian scientist and attended school at the Academy (later the Royal Academy). She lived in London and tried to act, but later turned to writing plays and novels. Her husband, Alec Beesley, was a conscientious objector which caused them both to relocate to America during WWII where she published i capture the castle. Her most famous story is The Hundred and One Dalmatians. when Smith died in 1990 she had herself cremated and her ashes were scattered in the wind.

I capture the castle is a story that examines the life of two sisters (Cassandra and rose) their flamboyant commune-with-nature stepmother, their has-been father, and two new neighbors. However, the narrator, Cassandra, is also extremely interested in capturing the essence of their life and the beauty of their home. she examines their house from many different views -- at different times in the day, in her memory, inside, and out. this might be very boring if she lived in suburban America, but Cassandra lives in a dilapidated castle in England full of splendor and history. A lot is learned about the family through the descriptions of the castle.

Cassandra's family isn't that well off. Their father was once a successful writer but hasn't written or published anything since their mother died. The stepmother is beautiful and eccentric. The two girls are bored. The story takes them through interesting and new experiences all triggered by their new American neighbors. The mystery behind the castle combined with the coming-of-age story-line create a new, ornate, finely woven story.

Smith pays a lot of attention to detail. The story is in an epistle style, and Cassandra's writing and observations improve as the story goes on.