Carrie Willow and her brother Nick are evacuees transported to the safety of the countryside in the 1940s.

There they stay with mean Mr Evans; but there's also kind Auntie Lou, and brilliant young Albert Sandwich and Mr Johnny, who speaks his own language, and Hepzibah, the witch at Druid's Grove who makes perfect mince pies. And then there's the ancient skull with its terrifying curse...