I read this as a kid, from the public library, and it stuck in my head, so I was pleased to go through it again.
The children's book market must have been considerably different back then. The main character is a middle-aged woman, a widow, who's bought a house in a small town. The opening is about her interactions with her neighbours - the retired major who goes for evening walks, a couple of odd men asking for the previous tenant...and the cat, who talks and who only she can hear. There's no child character until ch.6, and even with two child characters (who don't get along or spend time together until the ending) the narrative stays firmly with Mrs. Cary.
I liked it in my childhood, I liked it again, but I wonder if a story like this could get published now?