First published 2016
Hepzibah Pyncheon lives alone in her family's crumbling mansion, surviving on dignity and little else. When her brother Clifford returns after thirty years in prison for murder, she opens a small shop to support them both. Their wealthy cousin Judge Jaffrey Pyncheon offers help, but Hepzibah refuses his assistance. Young Phoebe arrives from the countryside and transforms their gloomy existence with her cheerful energy. She lifts Clifford from his depression and attracts customers to the struggling shop. Phoebe also catches the attention of Holgrave, their mysterious lodger who rents the attic. The house itself carries a dark history. Built on stolen land, it has witnessed accusations of witchcraft, sudden deaths, and a curse that seems to follow the Pyncheon family through generations. When Judge Jaffrey threatens to have Clifford committed unless he reveals family secrets, the siblings face their greatest crisis yet.
Genres: historical-fiction, mystery, 19th-century, gothic
Vibes: atmospheric, dark, emotional
Tropes: curse, family-legacy, unreliable-narrator
Setting: House of the Seven Gables, New England
Period: 19th Century
162 pages · Paperback · CreateSpace Independent Publishing Platform
Content warnings: death, mental-illness