by John Michael Cummings
Vandalia Press
2/1/2016, paperback
SKU: 9781940425962
In this novel for young adults, Josh knows there is something about the tall Victorian House on the Harpers Ferry Hill, the one his father grew up in, that he can't quite put his finger on. And his impossible father won't give him any clues. He's hiding something.
And then there's the famous John Brown. The one who all the tourists come to hear about. The one whose statue looms over Josh's house. Why does he seem to haunt Josh and his whole family? When the fancy Richmonds come to town and move right next door, their presence forces Josh to find the answers and stand up to the secrets of the House, to his father--and to John Brown, too.
The historic village of Harpers Ferry comes alive in this young boy's brave search for answers and a place of his own in this brilliant first novel by John Michael Cummings.
Target age: 10 to 13
Reviews:
"A compelling narrative of a troubled family and a dark secret of past grudges and grievances." -- The Buffalo News
"Characterizations are sharp, the setting eerily evoked and the story satisfying. A highly original meditation on how the past can haunt the present." -- Kirkus Reviews
About the Author:
John Michael Cummings's short stories have appeared in more than seventy-five literary journals, including The Iowa Review, North American Review, The Chattahoochee Review, Alaska Quarterly Review, and The Kenyon Review. Twice he has been nominated for The Pushcart Prize. His short story "The Scratchboard Project" received an honorable mention in The Best American Short Stories 2007. He is the author of Ugly to Start With and Don't Forget Me, Bro.