The Winter People
Jennifer McMahon
Anchor Books
MMPB, $7.99
ebook  $7.99

If you’re in the mood for a creepy ghost story that provides plenty of chills, and who this time of year isn’t, then you might want to check out The Winter People. You may have the book. It’s on sale at a lot of the big box stores, such as Wal-Mart. Don’t let that stop you.

Set in the countryside near a small town in Vermont called West Hall, this is the story of Sara Harrison Shea, who died under mysterious circumstances 1908, not long after her daughter was found at the bottom of a well.  Sara’s ghost is said to haunt the area, and she’s something of a local legend.  Her secret diary has even been published.

Or what pieces people have been able to find of it.  But don’t worry.  The missing pieces are included here.  Much of the story takes place in modern times and concerns 19 year old Ruthie.  She lives off the grid with her mother and younger sister in what used to be Sara’s farmhouse.  Ruthie returns home late one night to find the lights on and her mother missing.  This isn’t typical of her mother, especially not in the dead of winter.  While trying to find some clue about where her mother could have gone, Ruthie discovers a copy of Sara’s diary in a secret compartment of her mother’s room. Continue reading →