The House on Foster Hill
Author: Jaime Jo Wright
Publisher: Bethany House (2017)
364 pages
Kaine Prescott has been through a lot in the last two years. Her husband died two years ago in a tragic accident that Kaine believes was intentional. The San Diego Police Department, however, thinks she should "see someone". On top of that frustration, someone seems to be stalking her. Sneaking into her home when she is not there and moving things or leaving a single daffodil on her table. The police tell her there isn't anything they can do. She wants to start over in a place where no one knows her. Her late husband had a dream of moving back to the midwest and buying and restoring old houses. In his honor, Kaine buys an old house in Wisconsin near where her grandmother was from after only viewing it on the internet. When she arrives at the house, she is shocked by the condition of the house. It is much worse than the pictures made it look. In addition to that, she hears from locals that it has been abandoned for years and has always been associated with strange occurrences.
Along with Kaine's story, the novel alternates chapters with Kaine's grandmother, Ivy. In 1906, Ivy lived near Foster Hill House with her father who was a medical examiner. One night a body was found stuffed into a hole in a tree near the house. Ivy is used to examining dead bodies as she has assisted her father for many years. She began keeping a death journal where she tries to keep the memory of the dead alive by writing extended obituaries focusing on the positive things she knew about the person. But this girl who was found in the tree is a stranger, no one in town knows who she is. Ivy feels deeply that she deserves to be known and remembered. This unknown woman deserves justice for what happened to her.
Along with Kaine's story, the novel alternates chapters with Kaine's grandmother, Ivy. In 1906, Ivy lived near Foster Hill House with her father who was a medical examiner. One night a body was found stuffed into a hole in a tree near the house. Ivy is used to examining dead bodies as she has assisted her father for many years. She began keeping a death journal where she tries to keep the memory of the dead alive by writing extended obituaries focusing on the positive things she knew about the person. But this girl who was found in the tree is a stranger, no one in town knows who she is. Ivy feels deeply that she deserves to be known and remembered. This unknown woman deserves justice for what happened to her.
Ivy's story unfolds along with Kaine's discoveries at the house. There are so many mysteries in this story which kept me turning pages! It was not difficult to keep up with the two story lines and it was interesting learn the history of the house while also following along with Kaine and her attempts to restore the house and discover the mysteries of it. Both Ivy and Kaine develop love interests, but this is a minor part of the story. This was Jamie Jo Wright's debut novel and I look forward to reading others by her.
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