Description
Pre-order the superbly written southern gothic ghost story, longlisted for GoodRead's Horror Book of the Year 2024 . . .
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A young woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: they're under a curse
'A sinister and beautifully rendered Southern Gothic, This Cursed House explores the real-life horrors of racism and trauma. Del Sandeen's stunning debut haunted me' Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching
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Louisiana, 1962
The Duchon estate looms over New Orleans, a crumbling relic of Southern charm. Its walls decaying under the weight of its long-buried secrets.
At its door stands Jemma Barker, fleeing the frozen streets of Chicago and a past she won't talk about. But Jemma wasn't invited. She was summoned.
Inside await the light-skinned Duchons, bound by a family curse. They believe Jemma is the one who will save them. Never mind her darker skin, a shade they've always scorned.
But their curse isn't just supernatural. It's woven into generations of silence, superiority, and shame.
As the house stirs and Jemma's past creeps in, she must decide: will she be the Duchons' salvation, or risk losing herself to their darkness?
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Praise for This Cursed House:
'An absolute marvel of a debut from a prodigious talent. A richly atmospheric, utterly chilling ghost story, an enthralling puzzle box of family scandals and secrets - that's also an unflinching examination of the insidiousness of racism, the horrors of colorism' Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Black Sheep and Such Sharp Teeth
'An enthralling, twisty Southern Gothic historical full of family secrets and century-spanning sins. A remarkable debut' Eden Royce, award-winning author of Root Magic
'An inglorious remnant of American history is handled so deftly that you won't believe it's Del Sandeen's first novel' Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor
About the Author
Del Sandeen lives in northeast Florida, where she works as a copy editor and writes speculative fiction. Her work has appeared in FIYAH: Magazine of Black Speculative Fiction, Nightlight podcast, and Gay Magazine. This Cursed House is her debut novel. She can be found on Twitter @DelSandeen.
Reviews
An absolute marvel of a debut from a prodigious talent. This Cursed House is a richly atmospheric, utterly chilling ghost story, an enthralling puzzle box of family scandals and secrets-that's also an unflinching examination of the insidiousness of racism, the horrors of colorism, and how the toxicity of hate is a curse that traps us all with the worst of ourselves. A spellbinding Southern gothic. * Rachel Harrison, national bestselling author of Black Sheep and Such Sharp Teeth *
A sinister and beautifully rendered Southern Gothic, This Cursed House explores the real-life horrors of racism and trauma. Del Sandeen's stunning debut haunted me * Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching *
In this haunting and chilling story, an inglorious remnant of American history is handled so deftly that you won't believe it's Del Sandeen's first novel. It's hard to say which is more disturbing: the otherworldly goings-on in the Duchon mansion or the racism of the South in the 1960s * Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor *
An enthralling, twisty Southern Gothic historical full of family secrets and century-spanning sins. A remarkable debut * Eden Royce, award-winning author of Root Magic *
Del Sandeen's This Cursed House is a richly layered Southern Gothic about the cruelty of family secrets and the many different ways we can be cursed. This house is full of ghosts, but it's the people who are truly haunting. A wonderful debut! * Christopher Golden, New York Times bestselling author of The House of Last Resort *
This Cursed House is a hauntingly beautiful story about how far we would go for family-both the living and the dead. An absolute must-read for fans of gothic horror * Darcy Coates, USA Today bestselling author of The Whispering Dead *
Buckle up for terror * Press & Journal *
Book Information
ISBN 9781405969796
Author Del Sandeen
Format Paperback
Page Count 400
Imprint Penguin Books Ltd
Publisher Penguin Books Ltd
Weight(grams) 500g
Dimensions(mm) 198mm * 129mm * 35mm
