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.
