We Hear the Dead Review

Average Reviews:

(More customer reviews)We Hear The Dead was not what I expected. This is an intelligent, well developed story that takes place in the mid 1800's and chronicles the emergence of the Fox sisters into the the spiritualism craze of the period. The writing reflects the time, adding charm to the characters and a real sense of the period.
Maggie and Kate are quite young when they first decide to play a trick on a visiting relative that they don't like. How their simple prank escalates into a sensationalistic career for them both is quite a story. The book offers up an effective commentary on our willingness to believe what we want to believe, whether it be the Fox sister's client's willingness to believe in the hereafter, or the sisters own efforts to convince themselves that what they are doing is worthwhile.
The author does a great job of creating characters that are complex and believable. I didn't always like Maggie and Kate but I did feel like I understood them. Their sister Leah is a wonderfully complex character and I spent quite a bit of the story trying to figure out her motivations. She was in turn infuriating, courageous, criminal, and loving.
The author brings in important issues of the period, and by tying in the love story between Maggie and Elisha, truly places her story firmly in its place in history. This is a great piece of historical fiction in that it tells a unique story and gives the reader a true sense of the time, the feeling of the country, and what it was like to be a young teen in a somewhat unconventional situation.
This is a big recommend for any fan of historical fiction. It's a great read for anyone ages 10 and up, with no content or language concerns. This book made me want to read more about Maggie and Elisha, so I was very glad to see the author's inclusion of ideas for further reading. I think anyone who reads this book will be searching for more information about these intriguing characters. Don't miss this one!

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