Tryst

First published in the US in 1939, ''Tryst'' is a classic romantic ghost story and mystery novel written by American author Elswyth Thane. Set in southwestern England on the absolute brink of World War II, the book is widely celebrated as a bittersweet, haunting tale about two souls destined for each other across the boundaries of life and death.

Seventeen-year-old Sabrina Archer moves from London to a leased country estate with her emotionally distant professor father and critical aunt. Lonely and imaginative, Sabrina uses improvised tools to pick the lock of a forbidden room at the very top of the house. The room belongs to Hilary Shenstone, the younger son of the home's true owners. By exploring his books, personal effects, and journals, Sabrina feels a deep spiritual kinship and falls completely in love with this fascinating, absent stranger.

Unbeknownst to Sabrina, Hilary is working as a secret agent for the British Home Office and is shot while on a mission near the Indian frontier. Drawn by an unyielding desire for home, Hilary's spirit slowly travels back to England. Upon returning, he discovers he is a ghost, but he also encounters Sabrina. Assisted subtly by an intuitive housekeeper, the two build a silent, ethereal connection that defies reality.