The Ghosts of Kerfol - Softcover

Noyes, Deborah

Softcover

ISBN 10: 0763648256 ISBN 13: 9780763648251

Publisher: Candlewick, 2010

Synopsis

In an enthralling work of Gothic suspense, an Edith Wharton story inspires five connected tales set in the same haunted manor over the centuries.

In her classic ghost story "Kerfol," Edith Wharton tells the tale of Anne de Barrigan, a young Frenchwoman convicted of murdering her husband, the jealous Yves de Cornault. The elderly lord was found dead on the stairs, apparently savaged by a pack of dogs, though there were no dogs — no live dogs — at Kerfol that day. In this remarkable collection of intertwining short stories, Deborah Noyes takes us back to the haunted manor and tells us Anne de Barrigan's story through the sympathetic eyes of her servant girl. Four more tales slip forward in time, peering in on a young artist, a hard-drinking party girl, a young American couple, and a deaf gardener who now tends the Kerfol estate. All these souls are haunted by the ghosts of Kerfol — the dead dogs, the sensual yet uneasy relationships, and the bitter taste of revenge.

About this title

About the Author:

Deborah Noyes is the editor of the young adult anthologies GOTHIC! and THE RESTLESS DEAD. She is also the author of RED BUTTERFLY, illustrated by Sophie Blackall, and HANA IN THE TIME OF THE TULIPS, illustrated by Bagram Ibatoulline. She lives in Somerville, Massachusetts.

From School Library Journal:

Grade 9 Up—Beginning with a gothic tale set in 17th-century France and culminating with a modern, spine-tingling horror story, Ghosts is a collection of five short stories that center around one haunted house. Based on Edith Wharton's "Kerfol," the first one features the young wife of an abusive, older lord who also showers her with gifts, one of which is a sapphire necklace that appears in the subsequent tales. Although the master kills his wife's dogs one by one, the story ends with him found dead, mysteriously mauled by canines. The second tale takes place in the Napoleonic era with the new heir to Kerfol, nephew to a childless great-aunt, beset with nightmares about his father's death and haunted by a nonexistent pack of dogs. Both the following story, featuring a 1920s flapper, and a modern tale include some suggestive sexual scenes, but they in no way diminish the value of these creepy ghost stories that are reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's work. The first story is the longest and most difficult and may be a hard sell for less-sophisticated readers. If they can hang in, however, they will be rewarded with some great gooseflesh and an exciting read.—Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School Library, Loveland, CO
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About this edition

• Publisher: Candlewick
• Publication date: 2010
• ISBN 10: 0763648256
• ISBN 13: 9780763648251
• Binding: Paperback
• Number of pages: 176