We Hear the dead is what I would call a historical fiction/romance. It revolves around the Fox sisters who were well-known "spiritualists" in the 1800s. By spiritualists, I mean, they pretended to communicate with the spirits of the dead by using elaborate tricks and hoaxes. The story begins with the inception of their "spirit talking" in a small village when they were young children. It follows their careers eventually settling in on the romance of the older Fox sister, Maggie, and the Arctic explorer, Elisha K. Kane.
I think anyone can relate to the two women put forth in this book and, while it's marketed as a Young Adult book, anyone will enjoy the story. Intellectually, I know that this is a work of fiction, but it is based on facts, and I would like to imagine that I had a glimpse into a world that I could have otherwise never known. There is always the possibility that the author has a time machine hidden in her garage and rather than doing her research in a traditional setting she just nipped back in time and watched the events unfold as they happened. I realize the likelihood of Ms. Salerni having a time machine in her garage is next to nil, but a girl can dream, right?
In conclusion, if you like learning how magicians do their tricks, and you like a good romance to boot, We Hear the Dead will come highly recommended. It's more than simply entertaining. It has all the elements of a classic tragedy wrapped up into a Young Adult label.
Read it.
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