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Summary
Summary
The New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation makes her middle grade debut with a sweeping tale of the ghosts of our past that won't stay buried, starring an unforgettable girl named Ophie.
Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.
Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.
Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past--and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help--even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.
Reviews (4)
Publisher's Weekly Review
In 1920s Georgia, 12-year-old Ophelia Harrison, who is Black, learns that she can see ghosts when her father, killed hours earlier by a white lynch mob, wakes Ophie in the middle of the night to save her and her mother from the same fate. After relocating to Pittsburgh to live with her father's family, Ophie must leave school and work alongside her mother at the opulent Daffodil Manor, owned by the Caruthers family, white, pro-slavery Southerners from Virginia. There, Ophie sees more ghosts than ever, soon learning of her family's legacy of helping sometimes-dangerous haints with unfinished business move on. Her fascination with Clara, the old home's most beautiful ghost, draws Ophie into a mystery that reveals the human cost of systemic racism across America and the price routinely paid by those attempting to defy it. In her middle grade debut, Ireland (Dread Nation) deftly balances historical detail and atmosphere, capturing the essence of the centuries-enduring racism that oppresses through actions large and small. Ophie makes a brave, dynamic main character: scared, grieving, and compassionate, while also deeply aware that she deserves more than a racist society permits her. Ages 8--12. (May)
Horn Book Review
"When she was twelve, Ophelia Harrison saw her first ghost" -- that of her father. Having been lynched for voting as a Black man in 1920s Georgia, he appears to Ophie and warns her and her mother away before the murderers arrive to burn down their house. They flee to Pittsburgh, where Mrs. Harrison finds a job as a domestic worker for the affluent white Caruthers family, occupants of Daffodil Manor. Ophie reluctantly leaves school when a housemaid position opens up (they need the extra money to move out of Aunt Rose's house, which is already crowded with mean-tempered cousins). Ophie soon realizes that Daffodil Manor is haunted by many ghosts, including a young woman named Clara, who can't remember how she died. When Ophie attempts to solve the mystery of Clara's demise, she unwittingly uncovers a horrifying Caruthers family secret stemming from a legacy of slavery and oppression. Ireland's (Dread Nation, rev. 5/18) first middle-grade novel thoughtfully explores issues of race, privilege, and historical injustice, while also being a well-paced and shivery supernatural page-turner. Fans of The Jumbies by Tracey Baptiste, Spirit Hunters by Ellen Oh, and Doll Bones (rev. 7/13) by Holly Black will enjoy this suspenseful and multilayered read. Jennifer Hubert Swan May/June 2021 p.135(c) Copyright 2021. The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Kirkus Review
A 12-year-old Black girl in 1920s Georgia learns she has the ability to commune with ghosts--and goes on to help solve a mysterious death. Ophelia "Ophie" Harrison was startled awake by her father's urgently telling her to grab their emergency money, wake her mother, and escape to the woods--just before White men came and burned their house to the ground. The next morning, she found out those same men had already murdered her father; what she had seen was his ghost. Her mother, dealing with her own grief and their new reality, is not ready to hear of Ophie's talent, so after they move north to live with Aunt Rose and her family in Pittsburgh, Ophie is forced to keep quiet about it. She longs to attend school but starts working with her mother at Daffodil Manor, home to one of the city's wealthiest families, so that they can save up for their own place. She soon discovers that ghosts fill the manor; one in particular, Clara, helps her satisfy the demands of the curmudgeonly old White lady who is their employer. In return, Ophie is determined to find out how Clara died. Once again, Ireland weaves together the fantastical with historical realities that Black Americans have faced. Ophie's optimistic personality and the intrigue-filled story will keep pages turning all the way to the satisfying conclusion. An enthralling journey interwoven with historical realities. (Paranormal mystery. 8-12) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Booklist Review
The first time Ophie Harrison saw a ghost was the night her father was murdered by a lynch mob in 1922. Ophie and her mother escape from their Georgia home the same night to start a new life in Pittsburgh. Even after the change in location, ghosts (both literal and metaphorical) linger about the edges of their lives. After arriving in the city, they find work as servants for the Caruthers family at Daffodil Manor. Despite the cheerful name, the stately home is anything but. Ophie is assigned to care for the misanthropic Mrs. Caruthers but soon befriends Clara, a young ghost who cannot remember how she died. When Aunt Rose, an elderly relative who can also see ghosts, recognizes Ophie's gift, she warns the young girl to be careful as ghosts are dangerous creatures. The desire to help Clara discover what happened to her is too strong to ignore, thus entangling Ophie in an incredibly sinister mystery. Ireland's first middle-grade novel deftly examines the haunting aftermath of racial trauma and how people can learn to thrive despite it. Equal parts supernatural suspense and historical fiction, this is a compelling spin on the classic whodunit narrative. Younger fans of Ireland's Dread Nation series or Ronald L. Smith's Hoodoo (2015) will particularly enjoy this novel.
