Shadows in Summerland

"An extraordinary novel certain to enchant readers of Sarah Waters . . . [a] gothic tale rich in atmosphere and unforgettable characters, dead and alive." —Julia Fierro, author of Cutting Teeth
In 1859 Boston, as the nation teeters on the brink of civil war, confidence men prowl the streets for fresh marks. Mediums swindle the newly bereaved. Into this world of illusion and intrigue comes William Mumler, a manipulating mastermind and criminal jeweler. Mumler hopes to make his fortune by photographing spirits for Boston's elite. The key to his venture: a shy girl named Hannah who sees and manifests the dead and washes up on Boston's harbor along with her strange, intense mother, Claudette.
As Mumler and Hannah's fame grows throughout Boston, everybody wants a piece: Bill Christian, a brothel tough; Algernon Child, a drunken rival; Fanny A. Conant, a sly suffragette; and William Guay, a religious fanatic. These rogues, among a host of...