About
From the author of the "wonderfully crafted" (San Francisco Book Review) Ghost on Black Mountain comes a haunting gothic novel set in the Depression-era South about two young women who form an unlikely alliance when the spirit of a dead woman takes up residence in their home.
Shelly Parker, a sixteen-year-old servant who works for the tyrannical Pastor Dobbins and his family, has had the gift of sight for as long as she can remember. She's grown accustomed to coexisting with the spirits of the dead who roam Black Mountain, telling Shelly their stories and warning her of the dangers that surround her. When the ghost of Arleen Brown, a poor woman who died on the mountain during childbirth five years earlier, begins to pursue Pastor's daughter Faith-hell-bent on revealing a terrible secret that she took to her grave-Shelly is the only person that can help her. The two young women soon find themselves tangled up in a web of secrets and lies that takes them from Black Mountain to the murky saltwater marshes of Georgia, uncovering long-hidden truths that put their own lives in danger.
Atmospheric and infused with supernatural elements, Hite's novel is a rich and wonderfully eerie tale that will stay with you long after the story ends.
"A literary ghost story set in the American
South circa 1939, The Storycatcher is a riveting tale of
right, wrong, and vengeance. Restless souls (on Earth, as well as from the
spirit world) can find peace only through justice, and at times, only by
working together. Ann Hite writes brilliantly about the human condition-in this
world and the next."
"An eerily chilling Southern gothic tale that will leave readers looking over their shoulders…Hite's latest possesses superb characterization, not to mention a devil-in-sheep's-clothing villain that will have chills running down one's spine."
"Through multiple perspectives, Hite delivers a traditional Southern gothic tale infused with the supernatural. With ghosts abounding and a driving mystery…Those who enjoyed Ghost on Black Mountain will find much to enjoy."
"Set in the mountain community over several generations and told in alternating first-person voices, the drama comes from the various imperiled women who care for each other. The intricate plot with its twists and turns, real and supernatural, delivers suspense, but what holds the reader in the end is the lyrical storytelling."
"The Storycatcher transports you
high atop rural Black Mountain, North Carolina, smack in the middle of a gothic
tale so haunting and with characters and voices so authentic you'd swear you
were living amongst them. Ann Hite's ability to weave the reader through the
pages of the story catches you off guard with each and every spooky twist.
Impossible to put it down. Brilliant!"
"Haunting and daring, The Storycatcher grasps
readers by the wrists and pulls them into a world where the only boundary is
the one of unfinished business. Ann Hite is a fearless writer who leaves her
readers breathless, always looking back over their shoulders, unaware of the
turn up ahead. The Storycatcher is riveting southern gothic
literature. Hite has written an unforgettable novel that is lyrical and
beautiful, absorbing and graceful, proving that she herself is a master
storycatcher."
Shelly Parker, a sixteen-year-old servant who works for the tyrannical Pastor Dobbins and his family, has had the gift of sight for as long as she can remember. She's grown accustomed to coexisting with the spirits of the dead who roam Black Mountain, telling Shelly their stories and warning her of the dangers that surround her. When the ghost of Arleen Brown, a poor woman who died on the mountain during childbirth five years earlier, begins to pursue Pastor's daughter Faith-hell-bent on revealing a terrible secret that she took to her grave-Shelly is the only person that can help her. The two young women soon find themselves tangled up in a web of secrets and lies that takes them from Black Mountain to the murky saltwater marshes of Georgia, uncovering long-hidden truths that put their own lives in danger.
Atmospheric and infused with supernatural elements, Hite's novel is a rich and wonderfully eerie tale that will stay with you long after the story ends.
"A literary ghost story set in the American
South circa 1939, The Storycatcher is a riveting tale of
right, wrong, and vengeance. Restless souls (on Earth, as well as from the
spirit world) can find peace only through justice, and at times, only by
working together. Ann Hite writes brilliantly about the human condition-in this
world and the next."
"An eerily chilling Southern gothic tale that will leave readers looking over their shoulders…Hite's latest possesses superb characterization, not to mention a devil-in-sheep's-clothing villain that will have chills running down one's spine."
"Through multiple perspectives, Hite delivers a traditional Southern gothic tale infused with the supernatural. With ghosts abounding and a driving mystery…Those who enjoyed Ghost on Black Mountain will find much to enjoy."
"Set in the mountain community over several generations and told in alternating first-person voices, the drama comes from the various imperiled women who care for each other. The intricate plot with its twists and turns, real and supernatural, delivers suspense, but what holds the reader in the end is the lyrical storytelling."
"The Storycatcher transports you
high atop rural Black Mountain, North Carolina, smack in the middle of a gothic
tale so haunting and with characters and voices so authentic you'd swear you
were living amongst them. Ann Hite's ability to weave the reader through the
pages of the story catches you off guard with each and every spooky twist.
Impossible to put it down. Brilliant!"
"Haunting and daring, The Storycatcher grasps
readers by the wrists and pulls them into a world where the only boundary is
the one of unfinished business. Ann Hite is a fearless writer who leaves her
readers breathless, always looking back over their shoulders, unaware of the
turn up ahead. The Storycatcher is riveting southern gothic
literature. Hite has written an unforgettable novel that is lyrical and
beautiful, absorbing and graceful, proving that she herself is a master
storycatcher."