Xanthe and the Ruby Crown

Xanthe didn’t expect to spend her summer holidays digging up treasure in the basement of her Nani’s tower block. But that is where the mysterious cat leads her and she has a feeling it might be the only way she can help.

She always stays with Nani in the holidays. Her flat on the 15^th floor has a glorious roof garden but this summer, the flat is messy and dirty and the roof garden dried up and overgrown. There is obviously something very wrong with Nani.

But, although she can’t always remember to wash up or eat lunch, Nani’s childhood memories seem to become increasingly vivid as Xanthe discovers objects and clues which have been forgotten for decades. 

Like many children and grandparents, Xanthe and her Nani have a special relationship. Their love of history and archaeology has surely been passed from one to the other but could the same be true of their memories?

As Xanthe and her friends excavate long-lost artefacts, so Nani’s long-buried memories are brought to the surface, helping her realise that even traumatic experiences help make us who we are.

A captivating story of family, friendship and reminiscence with just a touch of magic realism.