This book was read by Courtney Bippley-Reference Librarian at the Main Campus Library

Why did you choose to read this book?

The premise of this book was intriguing to me. Using mediums to get intelligence from ghosts of soldiers seems like a logical tactic if ghosts were a real and reliable phenomenon.

What did you like about it?

I like that the book didn’t shy away from the culture of the time in regard to racism and sexism. The author worked these issues into the plot, characters, and setting in a way that felt real without overdoing it. I also liked that despite the WWI setting the book read more like a mystery than a war book. I wasn’t inundated with page after page of descriptions of soldiers dying in the trenches and other horrors of war. Instead, the author gives glimpses of this reality but stays true to the main plot.

What feeling did the book leave you with?

The ending of this book felt bittersweet to me, which is perhaps the best you can hope for from a book set in one of the world wars.

Who would you recommend the book to?

Anyone who likes alternate histories or fantasy books.

What would you pair this book with? 

I would pair this book with a documentary on WWI spy tactics and a ring of salt around the house to keep ghosts away.