Ophie's Ghosts
| Modern Age |
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 Ophie's Ghosts
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American History > Modern Age > African American History
The New York Times bestselling author of Dread Nation makes her middle-grade debut with a sweeping tale of the ghosts of our past that won’t stay buried, starring an unforgettable girl named Ophie.
Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.
Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.
Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past—and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help—even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.
Emily's Review
Wow, this story. I absolutely loved this book. It's powerful and hard-hitting, while also being a heartfelt story about a girl handling grief. The cover was what drew me in initially, and the fact that the author was one I had been wanting to give a second chance (I read Dread Nation a few years ago and didn't love it, but liked the writing style). This story was everything I could want in a middle-grade book - there's a supernatural element, a mystery, a girl finding her place in the world, a historical setting, and the writing was just phenomenal.
Ophie and her mother have just moved to Pittsburgh after her father's death, and they struggle to make a life for themselves. Ophie has a secret - she can see ghosts. Over the course of this story, she learns why she has this talent as well as what to do with it.
But this story is so much more than just a girl and the ghosts who seek her out. This is a story about racism and injustice - the ugly history that is so often swept under the rug in America. The characters in this story are all so vivid and well-written. The supernatural element is well-crafted as well. The author built a fascinating world within our world. I loved watching Ophie come into her own in this story. She is a wonderful heroine.
I recommend this book for ages 10+. There are some upsetting and frightful moments that might be too much for a younger reader.
Other Similar Books
Other suggestions on the subject of Jim Crow.
- Finding Langston (by: Cline-Ransome, Lesa, MG)
- Ophie's Ghosts (by: Ireland, Justina, MG, UMG)
- For Lamb (by: Cline-Ransome, Lesa, YA, A)
- The Davenports (by: Marquis, Krystal, YA, A)
- Making Our Way Home: The Great Migration and the Black American Dream (by: Imani, Blair, YA, A)
- The Reformatory (by: Due, Tananarive, YA, A)
- Homegoing (by: Gyasi, Yaa, YA, A)