The Doll in the Garden - by Mary Downing Hahn (Paperback)

About the Book

This award-winning novel is now available in paperback. After Ashley and Kristi find an antique doll buried in old Miss Cooper's garden, they discover that they can enter a ghostly turn-of-the-century world by going through a hole in the hedge.

Book Synopsis

From ghost story master Mary Downing Hahn, the haunting tale of a mysterious doll discovered in a young girl's garden, and its owner, a girl from seventy years in the past, who wants it back.

A suspenseful story of unexpected connections between present and past. Ashley and her mother need their new apartment to work out, but everything Ashley does seems to upset the irritable and unforgiving landlady. When Ashley makes friends with the girl next door, Kristi, they uncover a wooden box containing a well-loved turn-of-the-century doll. Ashley wants to keep the doll for herself, but Kristi has other ideas. So does the doll's original owner, a girl who died decades ago, but whom Ashley meets when she follows a mysterious white cat through a hedge. Can Ashley bring peace to the girl and resolve her own present-day challenges?

Review Quotes

"Hahn uses her satisfyingly mysterious, spooky story to illuminate the interaction of people in the present. . . . Thoughtful, entertaining fare for the middle grades." - Kirkus Reviews (starred review)
"A captivating fantasy that explores friendship, grief and the interconnectedness of events in time." - Publishers Weekly

About the Author

Mary Downing Hahn, a former children's librarian, is the award-winning author of many popular ghost stories. Her work has won more than fifty child-voted state awards. An avid reader, traveler, and all-around arts lover, Ms. Hahn lives in Columbia, Maryland. www.marydowninghahnbooks.com.