We Hear the Dead

We Hear the Dead by Dianne Salerni
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

I loved this book. No, it wasn’t what I expected. Yes, the cover and description are rather misleading. But I loved it.

The author captured the essence of the time period without reciting facts like a dictionary. I loved her writing style and how subtly the plot came around. What started out as an innocent prank turned into a cult following that spawned the spiritualist movement of the 1800’s. I’ll admit I’m not very educated in this particular section of history, so I don’t know how much fact blended with fiction in this story. But the characters were both charming and devilish, and I absolutely loved Maggie’s tumultuous relationship with Dr. Elisha Kane.

The author managed to make me fall in love with him one little bit at a time, just as Maggie did in the story. That’s a definite sign of masterful storytelling. My heart broke during her tragedies, of which there were plenty, and rejoiced in her moments of fun and triumph. While I would have loved a truly happy, happy ending, the author stayed true to real life, leaving it rather bittersweet. All in all, I thoroughly enjoyed it and will anxiously await Ms. Salerni’s upcoming novel.