The Secret of Laurel Oaks
The Secret of Laurel Oaks by Lois Ruby is a haunting historical mystery published by Tom Doherty Associates on September 29, 2009. This first edition spans 288 pages and is presented in English. The narrative unfolds through the alternating perspectives of a contemporary girl named Lila and a 19th-century slave named Daphne, who is accused of a horrific crime. As Lila visits the Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, she grapples with the skepticism of her family regarding the house’s haunted reputation, while secretly feeling a connection to the spirits that linger there.
Readers will find a compelling exploration of the past and present as Lila seeks to uncover the truth behind Daphne’s tragic story. The book delves into themes of innocence and injustice, revealing the events surrounding the poisoning deaths that led to Daphne’s wrongful blame. Set against the backdrop of 19th-century America, this narrative intertwines elements of horror and historical fiction, inviting readers to engage with the mysteries of Laurel Oaks and the lives intertwined within its walls.
Official synopsis Publisher
A haunting historical mystery based on real life events, told in the alternating points of view of a contemporary girl and a 19th century slave accused of a horrible crime.
When Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. But secretly, Lila suspects there are ghostly presences willing to communicate with her, and her alone. One spirit eager to tell her story is Daphne, a slave girl at Laurel Oaks in the 1840s, who was blamed for the poisoning deaths of two girls and their mother. Daphne’s spirit senses that Lila is the very person she’s been waiting for, the one who can prove her innocence so her spirit can rest at long last. Shifting back and forth from Lila’s world in the present to Daphne’s world in the past, the true story of what really happened that fateful night finally comes to light.
Laurel Oaks is a thinly disguised version of the legendary Myrtles Plantation in Louisiana, which is on the Smithsonian’s list of the ten most haunted places in America. This middle grade novel was inspired by the author’s visit to the plantation and her experiences there.
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