It’s very clear that one of the things readers are in unison about is the character, Maureen Summerglass. An 82 year old lady seems an unlikely choice for a heroine, but it appears to be one that has worked with readers and for that I’m really glad.
I did a guest post for A Fantastic Librarian where I talk a lot about the origin of Maureen and how she became one of the novel’s lead protagonists. If you’ve enjoyed her in the book, I think you might find her origin interesting.