e-Audio, 08:18:33
Narrated by: Sophie Amoss
Release Date: April 20, 2025
Published by: Recorded Books, Inc
Read from: April 18-20, 2025
Stand-Alone
Source: Netgalley (I received a free e-ALC from Netgalley and the publisher. This did nothing to influence my review.)
Content Warning: Death, War
For Readers Interested In: Non-fiction, Biography, History, YA, Ghost StoriesCAN THE DEAD TALK TO THE LIVING? Discover the astonishingly true story of Maggie, Kate, and Leah Fox—the Civil War-era sisters and teen mediums who created the American séance.
A real-life ghost story for young adult readers interested in the supernatural, American history, and women’s rights!
Rap. Rap. Rap. The eerie sound was first heard in March of 1848 at the home of the Fox family in Hydesville, New York. The family’s two daughters, Kate and Maggie, soon discovered that they could communicate with the spirit that was making these uncanny noises; he told them he had been a traveling peddler who had been murdered. This strange incident, and the ones that followed, generated a media frenzy beyond anything the Fox sisters could have imagined. Kate and Maggie, managed (or perhaps manipulated) by their elder sister Leah, became famous spirit mediums, giving public exhibitions, and advising other celebrities of their day.
But were the Fox sisters legitimate? In the years that followed their rise, the Civil War killed roughly 1 in 4 soldiers, increasing the demand for contacting the dead. However, media campaigns against the sisters gathered steam as well…
This thrilling and mysterious true story from veteran author Barb Rosenstock (Caldecott Honor winner) will spark teens’ interest in American history, encourage media literacy, and reveal insights into the Civil War era, fake news, and women’s rights.
*MY THOUGHTS*
This one was fun, but it was missing something. It wasn’t the story, but also I think it was? Idk how to explpain it. I think I wanted it to be more narrative. For the most part it was too facty for me. I think when the plot started dragging I would have skimmed the ending if I wasn’t reading this for work.
Ok so the number one thing about this that I liked was even though this is non-fiction, I don’t think there’s much in here that gave a “definitive” answer on whether or not this could or did ever happen. To me this is important because it doesn’t knock anyone that might be a believer. There’s another book I read last year that was on the same topic. but very definitively (in less words) said that the whole thing was a hoax.
The romance in this was hella traumatizing tho. Literally all the sisters and their partners were with terrible people. It was crazy. Idk They all had some weird thing happen to their lives and loved ones. I can’t lie, I probably felt the most for Maggie. She was going through it and those people deserved nothing but the worst for how they treated her.
I also learned a lot about this time period and the seances. I had no idea that their services were requested by so many people. like the President’s Wife? I learned a lot from this book and even though I read this for work, I enjoyed this. Definitely gave me something to think about when reading.
Overall, I give this
