Overview

A gripping blend of psychological suspense and historical true crime, this riveting novel--inspired by a sensational real-life murder from the 1800s--by critically acclaimed author Emily Arsenault delivers a heart-stopping mystery linking two young mothers from different centuries. Frances Barnett and Abby Bernacki are two haunted young mothers living in the same house in two different centuries. 1885: Frances Barnett is in the Northampton Lunatic Hospital, telling her story to a visitor. She has come to distrust her own memories, and believes that her pregnancy, birth, and early days of motherhood may have impaired her sanity. During the earliest months of her baby's life, Frances eagerly followed the famous murder trial of Mary Stannard--that captivated New Englanders with its salacious details and expert forensic testimony. Following--and even attending--this trial, Frances found an escape from the monotony of new motherhood. But as her story unfolds, Frances must admit that her obsession with the details of the murder were not entirely innocent. Present day: Abby has been adjusting to motherhood smoothly--until recently, when odd sensations and dreams have begun to unsettle her while home alone with her baby. When she starts to question the house's history, she is given the diary of Frances Barnett, who lived in the house 125 years earlier. Abby finds the diary disturbing, and researches the Barnett family's history. The more Abby learns, the more she wonders about a negative--possibly supernatural--influence in her house. She becomes convinced that when she sleeps, she leaves her daughter vulnerable--and then vows not to sleep until she can determine the cause of her eerie experiences. Frances Barnett might not be the only new mother to lose her mind in this house. And like Frances, Abby discovers that by trying to uncover another's secrets, she risks awakening some of her own.

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9781504694780

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Reviews

An engrossing, suspenseful mix of historical fiction and contemporary thriller, with some unexpected twists and wisdom. -- Booklist The events of the two time periods are both told from a first-person point of view, with a different narrator for each. Bernadette Dunn deftly conveys the loose grip that Frances, who lived in the late nineteenth century, seems to have on her sanity; Dunn knows just when to infuse her narration with a tinge of madness. The modern-day protagonist, Abby, is voiced by Nan McNamara, who does a wonderful job keeping Abby relatable as she grows convinced that something supernatural is happening in her house. Both narrators bring considerable talent to Arsenault's well-plotted book, making for a wonderful but intensely creepy listening experience. -- AudioFile The historic parts of the novel draw on the tale of a real-life 1879 murder and trial, even including several real New York Times articles that covered the story. Readers will squirm at the courtroom scene...A striking reminder that today's domesticity is not too far removed from that of the nineteenth century. -- Kirkus Reviews [An] exquisitely creepy blend of historical true crime and modern ghost story...Arsenualt's gift for letting readers feel the characters' anguish from the inside while showing their irrational strangeness from the outside makes for terror that sticks. -- Publishers Weekly (starred review) [A] gothic novel with a modern twist; a tale of dusty old journals, creaky houses, and ghostly whispers. -- Melanie Benjamin, New York Times bestselling author

Author Information

Emily Arsenault is also the author of The Broken Teaglass, In Search of the Rose Notes, Miss Me When I'm Gone, and What Strange Creatures. She lives in Shelburne Falls, Massachusetts, with her husband and daughter. Bernadette Dunne is the winner of more than a dozen AudioFile Earphones Awards and has twice been nominated for the prestigious Audie Award. She studied at the Royal National Theatre in London and the Studio Theater in Washington, DC, and has appeared at the Kennedy Center and off Broadway. Nan McNamara has performed on stage, television, film, and behind the microphone in voice-overs for over twenty years. Her passion is to tell good stories-no matter what the medium. Originally from St. Paul, Nan received a BA cum laude in theater.

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