Helpful Score: 4
A very unusual book, and one I had a hard time putting down! The story takes place post World War I. Twin siblings Emily and Michael have lost their father in France during the war, and live a rather isolated life with their mother Naomi and a well loved family servant Mary, on the Delaware river in 1925 on a very old family estate with a rich history. Emily finds she can make an unusual sound in her ankle, a sort of popping that is disembodied. When she show this to michael, he talks her into a scheme as summer entertainment. She is hesitant but Michael pushes her to do it. At first it is fairly innocent fun with neighborhood children. Emily claims to be able to speak to the dead through a long dead aunt and the answers are "yes" and "no" by one pop or two. This situation escalates as children attending confide in their parents and Michael pushes the fraud forward with disasterous results.
The writing was lovely and lyrical, the story well done, even though the characters themselves were not especially likable. Very interesting to have the two timelines overlapping in the history of the house, and in the story. Emily eventually tries to comfort a grieving parent by reassurances that his desceased son is happy in the afterlife and this makes her feel that the deception has caused some good. When she evenually is overcome by guilt and confesses her lie, life is changed forever for many people. We all lie every day. Is it ever acceptable to deceive another, even if we think it is for their own good? How many ways do we deceive ourselves? There were many lingering questions to digest long after I finished this book.... I thought it was origional, thought provoking and especially liked the descriptions of what happened to the characters later in life. How our actions, well intentioned or not, affect ourselves and those around us is serious food for thought to ponder long after the book is back on the shelf. And possibly to come back to... ( )
The writing was lovely and lyrical, the story well done, even though the characters themselves were not especially likable. Very interesting to have the two timelines overlapping in the history of the house, and in the story. Emily eventually tries to comfort a grieving parent by reassurances that his desceased son is happy in the afterlife and this makes her feel that the deception has caused some good. When she evenually is overcome by guilt and confesses her lie, life is changed forever for many people. We all lie every day. Is it ever acceptable to deceive another, even if we think it is for their own good? How many ways do we deceive ourselves? There were many lingering questions to digest long after I finished this book.... I thought it was origional, thought provoking and especially liked the descriptions of what happened to the characters later in life. How our actions, well intentioned or not, affect ourselves and those around us is serious food for thought to ponder long after the book is back on the shelf. And possibly to come back to... ( )
SUSAN S. (susieqmillsacoustics) -
This is an emotional read. It begins with a creepy atmosphere in an old mansion with secrets and ghosts from the past. The twins are playing a game in 1925 of claiming Emily can communicate with the dead. Michael devises this scheme and Emily enjoys the attention. The story delves back in time to 1872 and buried secrets, but the twins game has some devastating consequences to families years later. It is a good read, but a bit strange and sometimes hard to get through.
Kimberly N. (kimberlyrav) -
I am disappointed in this book. I haven't looked at any other review previous to my own, as I want to see if my view is in sink or out of sink with others. Sometimes I need validation but in other instances like this, Ill stand on my own and check for validation later. Why is this a big deal with this particular book? First, I wanted to love this book. I just knew it would be right up my reading alley. I took the book title and its cover only and ran with it. Next, the story seemed to be taking me down a path, I thought for sure I would love.
My synopsis of the book: This is a coming of age story. At 13 years old, twins Emily and Michael are rich, imaginative and highly intelligent. One day, Emily discovers an interesting talent. Something she can do with her body. That something, allows her to fool others into thinking ghosts are in the room. Her brother runs wild with this and starts inviting friends and neighbors over to contact their deceased loved ones. Only Emily and Michael know the truth. That the long dead are not actually contacting anyone.
The kids take this so far that when Emily tries to tell the truth, she wont be believed.
I was so bored, at times, and totally lost. I hoped for the story to evolve, but to me, it just stayed stagnant.
I did enjoy hearing about the life and times of the people in the Edwardian era but I didn't come for that. I came for the ghosts, I came for something that would never happen. That is my own fault, I judged the book by its cover. I must learn not to do that.
This book was just plain old boring.
My synopsis of the book: This is a coming of age story. At 13 years old, twins Emily and Michael are rich, imaginative and highly intelligent. One day, Emily discovers an interesting talent. Something she can do with her body. That something, allows her to fool others into thinking ghosts are in the room. Her brother runs wild with this and starts inviting friends and neighbors over to contact their deceased loved ones. Only Emily and Michael know the truth. That the long dead are not actually contacting anyone.
The kids take this so far that when Emily tries to tell the truth, she wont be believed.
I was so bored, at times, and totally lost. I hoped for the story to evolve, but to me, it just stayed stagnant.
I did enjoy hearing about the life and times of the people in the Edwardian era but I didn't come for that. I came for the ghosts, I came for something that would never happen. That is my own fault, I judged the book by its cover. I must learn not to do that.
This book was just plain old boring.
