March 1, 1987
Through young Thomas Small, Hamilton resolves the large questions posed in The House of Dies Drear. Thomas's father is listing the treasures cached in the Underground Railwaytunnels that honeycomb abolitionist Drear's landwhile the boy learns more about the neighboring Darrows from little Pesty Darrow. Thomas feels drawn, too, into a wary rapport with Macky Darrow. Later events involve the Drear caretaker Pluto, Professor Small's grandmother Rhetty and haunting Mrs. Darrow who appears suddenly in a new room in the tunnel. Perhaps no one but Hamilton could invent so thrilling and credible a story about people, sensitively individualized. One feels their relationship symbolizes a treasure to rival the tunnel's fabulous contents. Ages 10-up.