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A review by carolpk
The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead by Paul Elwork
3.0
I love the opportunity to read debut fiction. I love the thrill of discovering a new and up and coming author ahead of the pack. When I was offered an ARC of The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead by Paul Elwork, I jumped at the chance. That it was published by Amy Einhorn Books/Putnam, a publisher I respect, was the icing on the cake.
Do you believe in ghosts? At the heart of this book, there are certainly those that do. Emily Stewart and her brother, Michael, thirteen year old twins, are the prodigy of a wealthy Pennsylvania family living on an old estate bordering the Delaware River. With little to occupy her brilliant mind, Emily perfects a tic she calls spirit knocking and is soon entertaining the neighborhood children with her ability to contact the dead. What starts as a game soon snowballs and propels both twins on a course they could not have imagined.
Paul Elwork has potential as evidenced in this first venture, loosely based on true events. I liked the dreamy quality of the story and it's dealing with the possibilities of the afterlife. Family secrets, our basis for faith, the lost innocence of youth, are aptly explored. A solid debut with hopes for more to come.
Do you believe in ghosts? At the heart of this book, there are certainly those that do. Emily Stewart and her brother, Michael, thirteen year old twins, are the prodigy of a wealthy Pennsylvania family living on an old estate bordering the Delaware River. With little to occupy her brilliant mind, Emily perfects a tic she calls spirit knocking and is soon entertaining the neighborhood children with her ability to contact the dead. What starts as a game soon snowballs and propels both twins on a course they could not have imagined.
Paul Elwork has potential as evidenced in this first venture, loosely based on true events. I liked the dreamy quality of the story and it's dealing with the possibilities of the afterlife. Family secrets, our basis for faith, the lost innocence of youth, are aptly explored. A solid debut with hopes for more to come.