Thirteen-year-old Shawna and her new friend Thea find a dark neglected space in the cellar of an old inn in Vermont's Northeast Kingdom. At-once speculation and flap-doodle ensue as various people consider whether it might be a forgotten station on the Underground Railroad. As the search and research unfolds, Shawna discovers that there are many secret rooms in her life, and in the lives of those around her. It should be noted that this book was aimed at younger readers, but as much as I loathe -- from long professional experience -- that bastard-genre called "adolescent fiction" -- this particularly book transcends its genre-limitations in fine fashion. The portrayal of young Shawna, and the background discussions of small-town and family life are accurate, convincing, and at times touching. A tiny cavil: there is a math-error about a third of the way through the book. This little novel was constructed to allow for a subsequent novel, and I eagerly await it. ( )