Mona of the Manor : A Novel

Maupin is one of Americas finest storytellers.Neil Gaiman

Set in the early 1990s, the long-awaited tenth novel in Armistead Maupins beloved and enduring Tales of the City series follows the adventures of Mona Ramsey, now the widowed Lady of a glorious old manor in Britains golden Cotswolds, and her fabulous adopted son Wilfred, as they come to the aid of an American visitor with a troubling secret.

When Mona Ramsey married Lord Teddy Roughton to secure his visaallowing him to remain in San Francisco to fulfill his wildest dreamsshe never imagined she would, by age 48, be the sole owner of Easley House, Teddys grand, romantic country manor in the UK. She also didn't imagine that shed need to open the manors doors to paying guests to afford the electric bill and repair the leaking roof. Yet somehow she and her young friend Wilfred--whom guests assume is serving as Easleys charming-but-clumsy butler--and the loopy old gardener Mr. Hargis, are making it work.

This delicate equilibrium is upended when Americans Rhonda and Ernie Blaylock arrive for a weekend vacation at Easley, and Wilfred stumbles onto their terrible secret. Now, instead of being able to focus on the imminent arrival of her old friend Michael Tolliver and beloved parent Anna Madrigal, Mona will need to focus all of her considerable charm, willpower, and wilesand the help of Wilfred and Monas girlfriend Poppy, the towns postmistress and local calligraphy whizto set things right before the Midsummer ceremony when the whole town will descend on Easleys historic grounds.