Read this when
The Haunting of Hill House
Hill House isn't really about ghosts. It's about a woman so lonely she'd rather be haunted than go home alone. 🏚️
Who it's for
Eleanor has spent most of her adult life caring for her mother and has almost no life of her own, so her giddy joy at being invited somewhere will be piercingly familiar to lonely readers and former caregivers.
Feelings it meets
What it is
Shirley Jackson's 1959 novel follows Dr. John Montague, who rents the reputedly haunted Hill House to investigate the supernatural and invites guests with past paranormal experiences. They include Eleanor Vance, a shy woman who recently stopped caring for her mother after the mother's death; Theodora, a bohemian artist; and Luke Sanderson, the young heir to the house.
Where to find it
In print; widely available from libraries (Libby/Hoopla), and as an audiobook. Still in copyright, so not on Project Gutenberg.
Before you start
Heads up: A main character dies by suicide.
Age: Ages 14+
The only way to have a friend is to be one.Ralph Waldo Emerson, Essays: First Series, “Friendship”
