The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey - by Kathleen Kaufman (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Leaving behind a quiet life of simple comforts, Nairna Liath traverses the Scottish countryside with her charlatan father, Tavish. From remote cottages to rural fairs, the duo scrapes by on paltry coins as Tavish orchestrates 'encounters' with the departed, while Nairna interprets tarot cards for those willing to pay for what they wish to hear. But beyond her father's trickery, Nairna possesses a genuine gift for communicating with the spirit world, one that could get an impoverished country girl branded a witch. A talent inherited from her grandmother, Lottie Liath, widow of a Welsh coalminer, whose story of imprisonment and exploitation in a notorious asylum is calling out to Nairna from four decades past -- a warning to break free from the manipulations, greed, and betrayals of others. What do the cards hold for Nairna's future? Rescued from homelessness by a well-connected stranger, Nairna is whisked into a new life among Edinburgh's elite Spiritualist circle, including visiting American star Dorothy Kellings. Researchers, doctors, psychics, and thrill-seekers clamor for the rising young medium. But after a sâeance with blood-chilling results, a shocking scandal ensues, and Nairna flees to a secluded community near Boston, where she assumes a new identity: Nora Grey. But Nora can't stay hidden when Dorothy Kellings offers her the chance to face all comers and silence skeptics at a spectacular sâeance at Boston's Old South Meeting Hall, where Nora will come face to face at last with her spiritual guide: the courageous Lottie Liath, whose heart-wrenching story and profound messages are indelibly tied to Nora's destiny."--

Book Synopsis

As spiritualism reaches its fevered pitch at the dawn of the 20th century, a Scottish girl crosses the veil to unlock a powerful connection within an infamous asylum in this thrillingly atmospheric, exquisitely evocative exploration of feminine rage and agency for readers of Sarah Penner, Alice Hoffman, and Hester Fox.

Leaving behind a quiet life of simple comforts, Nairna Liath traverses the Scottish countryside with her charlatan father, Tavish. From remote cottages to rural fairs, the duo scrapes by on paltry coins as Tavish orchestrates "encounters" with the departed, while Nairna interprets tarot cards for those willing to pay for what they wish to hear.

But beyond her father's trickery, Nairna possesses a genuine gift for communicating with the spirit world, one that could get an impoverished country girl branded a witch. A talent inherited from her grandmother, Lottie Liath, widow of a Welsh coalminer, whose story of imprisonment and exploitation in a notorious asylum is calling out to Nairna from four decades past--a warning to break free from the manipulations, greed, and betrayals of others.

What do the cards hold for Nairna's future?

Rescued from homelessness by a well-connected stranger, Nairna is whisked into a new life among Edinburgh's elite Spiritualist circle, including visiting American star Dorothy Kellings. Researchers, doctors, psychics, and thrill-seekers clamor for the rising young medium. But after a séance with blood-chilling results, a shocking scandal ensues, and Nairna flees to a secluded community near Boston, where she assumes a new identity: Nora Grey.

But Nora can't stay hidden when Dorothy Kellings offers her the chance to face all comers and silence skeptics at a spectacular séance at Boston's Old South Meeting Hall, where Nora will come face to face at last with her spiritual guide: the courageous Lottie Liath, whose heart-wrenching story and profound messages are indelibly tied to Nora's destiny.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey

"Everything you want in a Gothic tale, doubled: two timelines, a pair of tragic souls linked through blood, and a cabal of occultists and mesmerists, all entangled in the dark unknown. A supremely satisfying novel of women coming into their own power." --Alma Katsu, author of The Fervor

"Are you ready for a haunting, unputdownable ride through the thrilling world of séances and secrets? Nairna Liath's rise from a con artist's daughter to a celebrated medium reveals a chilling family legacy--and a mesmerizing destiny." --Danielle Trussoni, New York Times bestselling author of The Puzzle Box

"A mesmerizing journey through Victorian mysticism, where two determined women--separated by time but united in spirit--fight to break free from society's attempts to subjugate them. Uplifting and richly atmospheric, this novel beautifully captures the tension between destiny and self-determination." --Amanda Skenandore, author of The Medicine Woman of Galveston

"In a séance of shame and suffering spanning generations, Kathleen Kaufman's Nora Grey is an irresistible alchemy of historical fiction, medical misadventure, and the occult, and a moving force for feminism and female intuition. Mesmerizing." --Lee Murray, five-time Bram Stoker Award(R)-winning author of Grotesque: Monster Stories

"Evocative, with brilliantly-wrought historical detail, The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey is rich in myth, mystery, and an exploration of fate and the soul." --Kaaron Warren, award-winning author of The Underhistory

"The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey wields the gripping tensions between power and subordination, faith and fraud, hope and rage, talent and exploitation. By braiding two timelines featuring two, gifted young women who share an undeniable connection, Kaufman creates an enduring tale about women's fight for self-determination in a world pitted against them. This haunting story summons the best of historical fiction and magical realism." --Rachel Rueckert, author of If the Tide Turns

"A revenge story and an empowering cry for self-determination, from its atmospheric setting to its captivating characters, Nora Grey will stick with readers for a long time. For fans of Tananarive Due and Alice Hoffman, this work is riveting, spellbinding, and nothing short of mesmerizing." -- Mallory Sutton, Bards Alley (Vienna, VA)

"Fans of Grady Hendrix and Deborah Harkness will absolutely devour this historical novel blending magical realism and feminist gothic horror." --Sarah Blanton, Bookmarks (Winston-Salem, NC)

About the Author

Kathleen Kaufman is an author of magical realism and feminist gothic horror, exploring "the other" from "the other's" point of view, how the horror of the past manifests in the present, and the inescapable intertwining of generational history. Her prose has been praised by Kirkus Reviews as "crisp, elegant" and "genuinely chilling" by Booklist. She is the author of the Diabhal trilogy, The Lairdbalor (soon to be a feature film directed by Nicholas Verso), Hag, and The Tree Museum. Originally from Colorado, Kathleen is a professor at Santa Monica College and lives in Los Angeles with her husband, son, kitten, and hound. Visit her online at KathleenKaufman.com.