Thistlemarsh

Thistlemarsh (#1,370) by Moorea Corrigan is one of the most imaginative books I've read in a long time.  It's set in an England which has just come through World War I.  The fairies have been gone from England for over a hundred years, though some people buried in the countryside still believe they could return.  That's the world Mouse Dunne finds herself in when she unexpectedly inherits Thistlemarsh, a fairy-blessed house, and the title of Lady Dewhurst.  Her cousin Bertie, the rightful heir, was a casualty of the war, and so is her brother Roger.  Roger's body has recovered, but not his mind.  Mouse hopes to provide him a safe haven at Thistlemarsh.  Her uncle Lord Dewhurst, however, has left Mouse Thistlemarsh as a spiteful bequest, with an impossible condition attached; restore the rotting remains to its former glory in a month, or it will all pass to the wretched Carlyle, a childhood nemesis.

Mouse is determined not to let that happen, but she is at a loss as to how to do that; no money came with Thistlemarsh, and her skills are limited to battlefield nursing.  Although the fourth member of their childhood quartet is still in the village of Tithe, he is now the vicar, and of no practical use in renovations.

When Mouse meets the mysterious Thornwood in the woods surrounding the estate, he proposes a deal.  He will help with the restoration in time to meet the lawyer's deadline, but for a price.  As Mouse knows from her upbringing, it's a dangerous thing to strike a bargain with a fairy.  The perils they face as they battle enchantments laid in a web across Thistlemarsh bond this unlikely pair.  Will they survive the unlikely return of the Fairy King?  You'll just have to read it to find out. I highly recommend that you do!