I thought this book would be a great read for this time of year, and I wasn’t wrong. But it was so much more than a spooky story. It was poetically dark yet uplifting. I know that sounds counter-intuitive, but I found it riveting.
As you can read from the blurbs, Tabby has the ability to communicate with the dead. She and her sister, Alice, were orphaned at a young age, but then Alice also disappeared once they got to Boston, so Tabby has been on her own for many years.
Taken in by Eli, who tends a local cemetery, she only uses her gift (she doesn’t see it as such) sparingly, and usually to try to communicate with Alice (who she assumes is dead).
Through a chance encounter when she is young, her life becomes intertwined with that of Caleb, who is of a different station than she is, and they meet again later in life, striking up an undefined friendship. But they are still worlds apart.
However, events shortly occur that upend both of their lives. Bodies are being stolen from the cemetery and Tabby soon finds out that there is much more than your normal, everyday grave robbing occurring. The reality is much darker and nefarious than she can imagine.
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I found Tabby’s story to be intriguing and realistic. I really liked the setting of 1844 Boston; it was a look at a pre-Civil War city, where the rich had frivolous interests and the poor stuck to the shadows.
The story was strongest at the beginning while Tabby was in Boston and it seemed a little muddled when Caleb and Tabby’s storylines diverged from each other. But it became apparent as to why that plot point was necessary. That being said, time was very fluid, and some of the sequential events didn’t seem to match up.
I thought the author did a great job detailing customs of the time, especially those centering around the dead and dying. “Watchers” and “layers” were essential. And I thought the concept of the resurrectionists was especially fascinating.
I also liked the connections that Tabby had with the various characters. I don’t want to give anything away but there were subtle similarities in the actions of a few of them that were nicely done.
I hesitate to call it gothic fiction (although several do) because I just can’t reconcile “gothic” and “pre-Civil War” in my mind. Regardless, I would definitely recommend this book, especially heading into a spooky season.
And I will certainly be looking for more books by this author.
TWITTER: @HesterBFox
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Hester Fox is a full-time writer and mother, with a background in museum work and historical archaeology. Most weekends you can find Hester exploring one of the many historic cemeteries in the area, browsing bookshops, or enjoying a seasonal latte while writing at a café. She lives outside of Boston with her husband and their son.
