"A sophisticated confection . For this delightful novel about the governess from hell, maybe only the word 'wicked' will do." -- The New York Times Book Review "A brilliant oxymoron -- a serious farce so subtle that its command of the reader must called insidious . Bright, candid, and modestly humorous, Stella Benson lures us into complicity . Cusk's ability to keep us interested in innumerable human collisions is uncanny. We may finally learn Stella's secrets, but she remains as fascinatingly indecipherable as anyone we know." -- The New Yorker "Enchanting . A funny, modern Jane Eyre combined with an Anne Tyler-esque tale about escaping from the pressures of an unhappy urban life.

" -- Newsday "An oddly ingratiating social comedy . Smart, literate, offbeat, confiding . A pleasure." -- The Boston Globe "Hilarious . Stella is strange because strangeness is part of the human condition; she's just a little more aware of it than most people." -- Village Voice Literary Supplement "Smart, charming, and often outright hilarious." -- Entertainment Weekly.