<P><B>A fascinating timeslip adventure set in a hidden valley where an 11-year-old girl travels across the river of time to fight fires, battle floodwaters, and discover the meaning of true friendship</B></P><P>Lucy can't wait for Christmas, especially as her big sister Claire is coming home from France to celebrate with her. But then the phone rings in the middle of the night and suddenly Lucy's mother is off to Paris, where Claire has had a bad accident. Lucy is horrified to find that she is to spend Christmas, and the summer holidays, with Great-Auntie Big in her isolated country house. As Christmas approaches Lucy has never felt so lonely—until the night she discovers she can enter the magical floor-to-ceiling paintings of the four seasons that cover the dining room walls. On the other side of the paintings, Lucy finds a world of adventure—but can she see the truth that lies behind the painted walls and bring hope to the future? Or will she risk losing the things that matter most before she realizes the power of the past and the love of the one person who understands the painted world?