The Ghosts of Kerfol by Deborah Noyes

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Stars: ****

I received this book for review as an addition to the one I requested. It is being counted towards the A Ghostly Challenge and R.I.P. III Challenge.

Summary: In her classic ghost story “Kerfol,” Edith Wharton tells the tale of Anne de Barrigan, a young Frenchwoman convicted of murdering her husband, the jealous Yves de Cornault. The elderly lord was found dead on the stairs, apparently savaged by a pack of dogs, though there were no dogs – no live dogs – at Kerfol that day. In this remarkable collection of intertwining short stories, Deborah Noyes takes us back to the haunted manor and tells us Anne de Barrigan’s story through the sympathetic eyes of her servant girl. Four more tales slip forward in time, peering in on a young artist, a hard-drinking party girl, a young American couple, and a deaf gardener who now tends the Kerfol estate. All these souls are haunted by the ghosts of Kerfol – the dead dogs, the sensual yet uneasy relationships, and the bitter taste of revenge.

Personally, I have not heard of the classic ghost story “Kerfol” but I do like ghost stories and thought I’d give it a try. The book is actually a book of 5 short stories which at first turned me off as I don’t normally like short stories but the fact that the stories intertwine made it so much better. The first story is Deborah Noyes retelling of the orignal ghost story. The subsequent stories all take place many years, even centuries later. The time period of each story is as follows: 1613, 1802, 1926, 1982 and 2006. How many other books to you know have such a wide range in times?

When a new story started, I was a little confused at first but after a few paragraphs understood what was going on and what perhaps had gone on in between the stories. As you can imagine, the stories can’t really contain the same people so each story had you learning new characters, but as I said, it didn’t take long to figure it out.

I wouldn’t say the stories spooked me but they were interesting and for some, even captivating. If you are into ghost stories, short stories and especially short stories that intertwine, you will enjoy this book. It is recommended for ages 14 and up.

Other Reviews:

Right Book
Becky’s Book Reviews
The Well-Read Child
Read Space

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About Kathleen

I've been a nonfiction lover for as long as I can remember. I love children's nonfiction as well and love to share my knowledge and the books I gained them from, with the world. I wish more people would give nonfiction a chance.