The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
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- $14.99
Publisher Description
As spiritualism reaches its fevered pitch at the dawn of the 20th century, a Scottish girl crosses the veil to unlock a powerful connection within an infamous asylum in this thrillingly atmospheric, exquisitely evocative exploration of feminine rage and agency for readers of Sarah Penner, Alice Hoffman, and Hester Fox.
Now available in paperback!
Leaving behind a quiet life of simple comforts, Nairna Liath traverses the Scottish countryside with her charlatan father, Tavish. The duo scrapes by on paltry coins as Tavish orchestrates “encounters” with the departed, while Nairna interprets tarot cards for those willing to pay for what they wish to hear.
But beyond her father’s trickery, Nairna possesses a genuine gift for communicating with the spirit world, one that could get an impoverished country girl branded a witch. It’s a talent inherited from her grandmother, Lottie Liath, whose story of imprisonment and exploitation in a notorious asylum is calling out to Nairna from four decades past—a warning to break free from the manipulations, greed, and betrayals of others.
Rescued from homelessness by a well-connected stranger, Nairna is whisked into a new life among Edinburgh’s elite Spiritualist circle, including visiting American star Dorothy Kellings. Researchers, doctors, psychics, and thrill-seekers clamor for the rising young medium. But after a séance with
blood-chilling results, a shocking scandal ensues, and Nairna flees to a secluded community near Boston, where she assumes a new identity: Nora Grey.
But Nora can’t stay hidden when Dorothy Kellings offers her the chance to silence skeptics at a spectacular séance, where Nora will come face to face at last with her spiritual guide: the courageous Lottie Liath—whose profound messages are indelibly tied to Nora’s destiny.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Gothic aesthetics and a wry depiction of the Spiritualist craze of the early 20th century underpin this moving historical novel from Kaufman (the Diabhal series). Scotswoman Nairna Kirkcaldy's hardscrabble life presenting a dubious traveling séance show with her father Tavish takes an abrupt turn when her skill with the tarot cards she inherited from her grandmother, Lottie Liath, reveals her to be a genuinely psychically powerful physical medium, and she is whisked to America to perform under the name Nora Grey. In a parallel plot set two generations earlier, pregnant Lottie's determination to collect the insurance owed her after her husband dies in a mining accident lands her in the asylum at Argoll Downs, where doctors force her into experiments connecting pain and her psychic abilities. Faux historical documents peppered throughout the novel describe the drama of hauntings and metaphysical demonstrations and offer alternate perspectives on key scenes, adding delightful complexity to Kaufman's scene-setting. The story's pointed message about female solidarity shines in the relationships between Nora and the fellow female medium who helps her succeed on her own terms, Lottie and the nun who aids her escape attempt, and, ultimately, the spiritual connection that arises between Nora and Lottie. The result is both a thrilling supernatural tale and a stirring ode to women's power.
