The story certainly does hold up—and whenever I re-read it I enjoy picking up the little details and hints in the early part of the book of what's going to happen later on. It's very well-constructed!

It's just the nudge she needed to get her independence and her own life going. And she can decide whether to follow that path or not, which is why I love the open end--it suggests so many possibilities!!

Oh, yes—it's somewhere she can finally make her own choices, and understand and enjoy her own freedom. Such a satisfying ending :D

I've read a couple of her other books, but not Mr Fortune's Maggot yet—I'll bump it up the to-read list...!