The Tale Of Halcyon Crane by Wendy Webb

"I just want to be sure. If you think you know who the ghosts are, it helps. Whenever possible, it's best to try to contact specific people on the other side."
~Page 277

Title: The Tale Of Halcyon Crane

Author: Wendy Webb

ISBN: 978-0-8050-9140-3

Publisher: Holt/2010

Pages: 326

It is modern a Gothic story which has all the right elements to sustain the interest of the reader. When Hallie James discovers that her mother was very much alive after three decades, she doesn't know what to believe. He dad is lost to her as he has Alzheimer's. Now both her parents die within a few weeks of each other. So she has no answers for all her questions.

She travels to an island in the Great Lakes to seek answers for her questions. However, the islanders are antagonistic towards her for what her father had seemingly done 30 years ago. Hallie doesn't believe that her father could do anythibng wrong. And she knows that she has to unravel the truth. And only the islanders can help her in that. She moves into her mother's house, which she has inherited and finds herself seeing small girls calling her to play, her mother's hug engulfing her and certain visions she can't understand.

When an old housekeeper Iris offers to tell her family's story, she is only too eager to learn it. And then in the midst of her narration, finds herself having clear visions of what happened.

Now she has an inkling of her father's reason for taking her away from the island and also knows that it is her home and she has come to stay. And only she can help the ghosts to leave the house.

With a setting in a island in Great Lakes, amongst old house, graves, ghosts and witches, the reader is completely enthralled by the narration. And is as eager to know about what propelled Hallie's father to leave the island along with Hallie, that too, by meticulously planning their own demise, and then getting a new identity for both of them. . Especially when we see him being a loving father, who doesn't ever remarry, as he still loves his wife, Madlyn Crane.

We are as pleased as Hallie when she is finally accepted by the islanders and also finds a love, which she had not expected. The best part is, suspense is maintained throughout. Once I started it, I simply couldn't put it down.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

My telephone lines were down for two days, due to which my internet wasn't working. Hence, I couldn't visit anyone in the last two days. Will try to remedy that soon. My Google reader is overflowing!