I was recently asked what genre of book I enjoy reading. The truth is that I’m drawn first to literary fiction. I’ll dip into chick lit to cleanse my palate after a particularly heavy novel, and I do enjoy a good memoir every now and then. Vacation means mysteries to me, and non-fiction is my audio book of choice. A little bit of variety, but fairly predictable.
Every now and then, though, I step out of those comfort zones and read something completely different; science fiction, romance novel, young adult. When was the last time you read a great ghost story?
The Winter People, by Jennifer McMahon is as chilling, bleak and beautiful as its front cover promises. It is reminiscent of Peter Straub’s great novel, Ghost Story (turned into a 1981 movie with Fred Estaire and John Housman, well worth a search the next time you’re sifting through the used DVD bin).
“West Hall, Vermont, has always been a town of strange disappearances and old legends. The most mysterious is that of Sara Harrison Shea, who, in 1908, was found dead in the field behind her house just months after the tragic death of her daughter, Gertie. Now, in present day, nineteen-year-old Ruthie lives in Sara’s farmhouse with her mother, Alice, and her younger sister, Fawn. Alice has always insisted that they live off the grid, a decision that suddenly proves perilous when Ruthie wakes up one morning to find that Alice has vanished without a trace. Searching for clues, she is startled to find a copy of Sara Harrison Shea’s diary hidden beneath the floorboards of her mother’s bedroom. As Ruthie gets sucked deeper into the mystery of Sara’s fate, she discovers that she’s not the only person who’s desperately looking for someone that they’ve lost. But she may be the only one who can stop history from repeating itself.”
The story is told by various characters, in different eras, using different styles. This takes a little getting used to and the first 100 pages of the novel require more concentration than you’d expect from a thriller, but the payoff is worth that attention. The characters end up well-rounded, and the novel picks up pace like a giant snowball rolling downhill. I was hooked very quickly, and this mystery that spreads from a single family to an entire town, and from present day to the last century, snowballs itself, gaining in scope and momentum.
At the heart of the story is the age old question, “if someone you love dies, what would you be willing to do to bring to bring them back?” Different characters grapple with this question in their own ways, and as readers we’re constantly reminded of the repercussions of the decisions that we make in the midst of grieving. It’s an emotional ride, particularly in its exploration of the mother-child bond. Jennifer McMahon has a wonderful and easy writing style that means I’d fly through 20 or 30 pages without “coming up for breath”.
The Winter People is a chilling and suspenseful literary thriller, perfect for a stormy, cold winter’s night (and we’ve had more than our fair share of those this season). My only criticism is that there a few small questions remained unanswered at the end of the novel. I can only hope this means a sequel.
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