** spoiler alert ** As in many books by Ms. Oyeyemi there is a tangled plot, hero and villain confusion, and a changing set of narrators. In this case, that last is part of the trick. Because you often don't know who is telling the story until well into each narrative. Narrators change within the chapters, and there are at least three here, Miranda's brother, Eliot. Her African-immigrant lover from Cambridge, Ore, and the house she grew up in, 29 Barton Road. Since I'm hiding these spoilers I guess I can tell you that the house is the villain, though she tries to explain herself. She has captured and held (thus virtually killing) several generations of women in Miri's family, and now she's after her next victim. The men are no use at all, cowardly, distracted, sad, and worthless; and witches (who are an interesting red-herring/scare-tactic - maybe) are not the real threat either - maybe.Helen Oyeyemi is one of my favorite authors. Her writing is beautiful, her stories are original and unpredictable, and her commentary is amazing. So read this book, probably with the lights on all night. Because, you never know when the next scare is about to take hold of you.BTW - HINT: When you finish the book go back and read the introductory chapters over again.