Giving Up the Ghost

Davia is afraid of many things: death, ghosts, unfamiliar places, and the possible return of her mom’s cancer. But she can’t avoid these fears now. Far from their Wisconsin home, Davia and her parents are temporarily living in Louisiana to assist with the in-home hospice care of her elderly great-aunt Mari. Everything about the old woman and her spooky-looking plantation home terrifies Davia. And when she encounters Emilie, the tortured ghost of a well-to-do adolescent girl from the nineteenth century, she is even more frightened. To Davia’s surprise, Emilie seems eager to have her for a friend, but the ghost is unpredictable and difficult. Davia gradually begins to learn from Aunt Mari secrets about Emilie and about her own family’s past—stories of premature endings and regrets. As Aunt Mari’s health deteriorates, she and Davia become closer. Together, they hope to release Emilie’s spirit from the mansion and the world of the living. Author Sheri Sinykin has written a sensitive, provocative tale of a young girl who learns to accept uncertainty and to come to terms with her fears. Readers will be mesmerized by the intriguing supernatural mystery that lies at the heart of the story.