To Lily, the garden she helped to create is a magical place, one she loves to share with her friend, Megan. One day, without warning, Megan moves away. As a parting gift, she sends Lily a beautiful red shawl knitted by her grandmother. Lily is lost without her friend - until she hears the barking of a strange dog and goes into the garden to investigate. The familiar hedge has disappeared; so has the garden gate. Now there is a stone wall and a heavy wooden door. When Lily dares to lift the heavy latch and go through the door she finds a new friend and discovers a world far different from her own. She visits her new friend, Effie, and her little dog, Lupin, regularly - and with them she has an adventure she could never have dreamt of. Twice she parts with the red shawl when others have greater need of it, and when she parts with it forever the shawl becomes a symbol of love and friendship that reaches through time.