THE GIRL WHO WOULD SPEAK FOR THE DEAD
The innocence of childhood, the unknown of adulthood, and the search for forgiveness . . .
Emily Stewart is the girl who claims to stand between the living and the dead. During the quiet summer of 1925, she and her brother, Michael, are thirteen-year-old twins-privileged, precocious, wandering aimlessly around their family’s estate. One day, Emily discovers that she can secretly crack her ankle in such a way that a sound appears to burst through the stillness of midair. Emily and Michael gather the neighborhood children to fool them with these “spirit knockings.”
Soon, however,
The innocence of childhood, the unknown of adulthood, and the search for forgiveness . . .
Emily Stewart is the girl who claims to stand between the living and the dead. During the quiet summer of 1925, she and her brother, Michael, are thirteen-year-old twins-privileged, precocious, wandering aimlessly around their family’s estate. One day, Emily discovers that she can secretly crack her ankle in such a way that a sound appears to burst through the stillness of midair. Emily and Michael gather the neighborhood children to fool them with these “spirit knockings.”
Soon, however, this game of contacting the dead creeps into a world of adults still reeling from World War I. When the twins find themselves dabbling in the uncertain territory of human grief and family secrets- knock, knock-everything spins wildly out of control.
- Berkley
- Paperback
- March 2012
- 336 Pages
- 9780425245422
Buy the Book
$15.00
About Paul Elwork
Paul Elwork graduated from Temple University with a bachelor’s degree in anthropology and Arcadia University with a master’s degree in English. His stories have appeared in many literary journals. The Girl Who Would Speak for the Dead is his first novel.
Praise
“Elwork’s debut incorporates elements of World War I and early 20th-century spiritualism that will appeal to history enthusiasts, but it is his somber tone and emotional evocation of loss and heartbreak that will win over readers of literary fiction.”—Library Journal
“Family secrets, a love triangle, and a duplicitous magician add to the darkening atmosphere of a thought-provoking novel that blurs the boundaries between faith and trickery.”—Booklist
“Beautifully written… Masterful… If writing can be thought of as a sort of telepathy–a rousing and rendering of spirits–then Elwork is as talented a clairvoyant as any you’re likely to encounter.”—Scott Smith, author of The Ruins and A Simple Plan
“Wonderful… A mystery story about the greatest mystery there is: can we ever again connect with the loved ones we’ve lost? Paul Elwork knows why people believe in unknown worlds. I certainly believe in his.”—Daniel Wallace, author of Big Fish
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