About This Book
Reach for this book when your child is grappling with the desire for approval or the pressure to keep secrets to please authority figures. It is an ideal choice for the middle-schooler who feels like an outsider and is beginning to navigate the complex line between loyalty to others and loyalty to their own conscience. Set in the early 1900s, the story follows Maud, an unpolished orphan who is adopted by three sisters. She soon discovers they only want her to help them fake seances, forcing her to live as a 'secret child' hidden in their home. This atmospheric melodrama explores themes of honesty, the ache for a family, and the realization that love shouldn't come with conditions. While the setting is historical and spooky, the emotional core is deeply relevant to preteens finding their moral footing. It is a sophisticated read that balances suspense with a profound psychological study of a child who must decide if belonging is worth the price of a lie. Parents will appreciate the way it validates the struggle of children who don't fit the 'perfect' mold.
