Overview
Lila
When thirteen-year-old Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. Lila isn’t so ready to dismiss the idea. Ever since her friend Roberto died, she’s been hearing his voice in the middle of the night. But there are no such things as ghosts, are there? Maybe here, at Laurel Oaks, Lila will find out for sure….
Daphne
Daphne was alive once, long ago. She was a house slave to Judge Nethercott at Laurel Oaks Plantation. She met her end in the wintry waters of the Mississippi when she was accused of poisoning her master’s wife and two little girls. For two centuries, Daphne has been waiting—waiting for the one who can discover the truth and set her spirit free. Could Lila be the one?
Synopsis
Lila
When thirteen-year-old Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. Lila isn’t so ready to dismiss the idea. Ever since her friend Roberto died, she’s been hearing his voice in the middle of the night. But there are no such things as ghosts, are there? Maybe here, at Laurel Oaks, Lila will find out for sure….
Daphne
Daphne was alive once, long ago. She was a house slave to Judge Nethercott at Laurel Oaks Plantation. She met her end in the wintry waters of the Mississippi when she was accused of poisoning her master’s wife and two little girls. For two centuries, Daphne has been waiting—waiting for the one who can discover the truth and set her spirit free. Could Lila be the one?
KLIATT
When Lila's mother asks her to make reservations for their family's trip to Louisiana, Lila picks the Laurel Oaks Plantation because of its claim to be haunted. Her family scoffs at the idea, but after a creepy, nighttime tour of the plantation, Lila thinks the spirits might actually be trying to communicate with her. One particularly eager ghost is a slave girl named Daphne who worked at the plantation in the 1840s. Daphne had been accused of poisoning, and killing, the wife and daughters of her master. Daphne's spirit senses that Lila will believe her long-kept secret as Lila digs deep into Laurel Oaks's history to unveil the real story of what happened that fateful night many years ago. Lila's search for the truth leads her to talking trees, voodoo magic, and hidden treasure. This YA novel shifts back and forth between Lila's voice in the present and Daphne's voice in the past, showing how two lives centuries apart connect in a deeply moving way. YAs will enjoy the characters' struggle between reality and myth in this innovative "ghost" story overflowing with the power of love, friendship, and courage. Ashleigh Larsen, Teaching Asst., English, Reviewer: Gordon College
Editorials
KLIATT -
When Lila's mother asks her to make reservations for their family's trip to Louisiana, Lila picks the Laurel Oaks Plantation because of its claim to be haunted. Her family scoffs at the idea, but after a creepy, nighttime tour of the plantation, Lila thinks the spirits might actually be trying to communicate with her. One particularly eager ghost is a slave girl named Daphne who worked at the plantation in the 1840s. Daphne had been accused of poisoning, and killing, the wife and daughters of her master. Daphne's spirit senses that Lila will believe her long-kept secret as Lila digs deep into Laurel Oaks's history to unveil the real story of what happened that fateful night many years ago. Lila's search for the truth leads her to talking trees, voodoo magic, and hidden treasure. This YA novel shifts back and forth between Lila's voice in the present and Daphne's voice in the past, showing how two lives centuries apart connect in a deeply moving way. YAs will enjoy the characters' struggle between reality and myth in this innovative "ghost" story overflowing with the power of love, friendship, and courage. Ashleigh Larsen, Teaching Asst., English, Reviewer: Gordon CollegeChildren's Literature -
This fun blend of historical fiction and ghost story is a rich melding of the vastly different worlds of its two alternating narrators: the modern-day Lila and deceased slave Daphne. Lila has experienced some strange occurrences since the death of a family friend, so she leaps at the chance to pick the hotel when her brother and father must travel along with her mother to Louisiana. After researching the area, Lila settles on the fictional Laurel Oaks Plantation, which author Ruby bases closely on the real Myrtles Plantation, supposedly one of the most haunted places in America. Almost immediately uponon her family's arrival, Lila and her brother begin noticing bizarre events, which begin to make sense after the siblings take the ghostly hotel tour. The tour begins to weave Lila's story with that of Daphne, a slave who once lived on the plantation and who is introduced in greater detail in the prologue. The chapters alternate between Lila's present-day narrative and Daphne's historical one, a wise choice which provides valuable, valid historiographical information while decreasing the sometimes distancing or didactic effects of some other historical fiction. Some adults may object to the ghostly aspects or to the darker side of Daphne, whose sexual abuse at the hands of her master is implied and whose possible role as the murderer of his children and wife is the central mystery of the novel; however, this book is far from the typical dry nonfictional texts used in some school districts and would be a valuable asset in a late elementary or early middle school American history curriculum. Reviewer: Jennifer WoodVOYA -
When Professor Barry is scheduled to present a paper at a Louisiana State conference, the entire family accompanies her and stays at Laurel Oaks Plantation, rumored to be haunted. With their parents at the conference, thirteen-year-old Lila and her year-older brother Gabe are left to explore the mysterious house and grounds. On a candlelit walk for tourists, the siblings learn the history of the plantation. Legend has it that Daphne, a disgruntled teenage slave, poisoned and killed her mistress Amelia Nethercott and her two daughters, Molly and Alice. Only Lila sees Daphne's face in the hallway mirror during the tour, along with the streaks that look like blood. As time passes, Lila experiences more frequent, increasingly frightening encounters with the supernatural. She sees a gardener who is imperceptible to anyone else, she feels an invisible corpse with her foot, she hears voices, and more. Lila figures out that Daphne is trying to communicate with her and enlists Gabe's help in doing what is necessary to let Daphne's soul rest. Based on the author's experiences during her stay at Louisiana's Myrtles Plantation, one of the ten most haunted houses in America, this ghost story is perfect for readers who prefer chills down the spine over being scared to death. Told alternately in Daphne's and Lila's voices, it is a perfect blend of history, reality, and the supernatural. Suspenseful and intriguing, this novel should appeal to students looking for a good, scary read. Reviewer: Rachelle BilzSchool Library Journal
Gr 6-9
When the Barry family decides to stay at the Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, considered by the Smithsonian Institution to be one of the 10 most haunted places in the United States, a harmless bit of fun becomes a life-altering experience for Lila, 13, and her 14-year-old brother, Gabe. As they take part in the spooky evening tour of the house, Lila senses and sees what Gabe thinks are all gimmicks and Disney-style special effects. The presence of spirits is strong and one in particular is reaching out to Lila. It is the spirit of Daphne, a slave girl who was accused of poisoning her master's wife and two daughters. Is Lila the one who can put things right for Daphne after all these years and allow peace to come to Laurel Oaks? This plot-twisting ghost story is full of history, friendship, romance, betrayal, and jealousy. Lila's and Daphne's stories are revealed through alternating chapters, shifting between today and the 1840s. While this technique works well, at times it is distracting and seems to make the plot drag needlessly. Overall, this is an interesting read with considerable potential but its ending loses steam.-Donna Rosenblum, Floral Park Memorial High School, NY