Girl from the Ashes - by India Hill Brown (Hardcover)

Book Synopsis

For fans of Small Spaces and Mary Downing Hahn, a truly chilling (and historically inspired) ghost story from the award-winning author of The Forgotten Girl and The Girl in the Lake. Two friends must dig into their town's forgotten past and uncover the buried truth -- before their whole town goes up in flames.

Carter tries his best -- he really does -- but he's always getting in trouble at school. Still, he's determined to ace his history project, and luckily, he gets to partner with his BFF, Gianna.

Carter and Gianna are in the library to start their research when the lights flicker and a stack of books falls off a shelf -- what's going on?! Everywhere they go, spooky things continue to happen, going quickly from weird to downright dangerous, until a few days later, Carter's notebook bursts into flames in the middle of class!

They are determined to figure out what's going on -- but to make matters worse, Carter keeps getting blamed for the creepy events! People think he's the one setting the fires! But Carter and Gianna are becoming certain that these are no normal fires... Something terrible once happened where the library now stands, and someone's trying to send them a message about it.

Can these best friends dig into their town's past and stop the strange occurrences before they get any worse? If they're too late, their whole town might go up in flames...

With her signature mix of history and bone-chilling ghost story, this is India Hill Brown at her best.

Review Quotes

Praise for The Girl in the Lake:

"Brown expertly reminds readers that the truth is scarier than fiction especially when it comes to historical truths and lived realities whose impacts echo through the generations. A gripping scary story weaving in the history of segregation." --Kirkus Reviews

"The slow burn reveal of Ellie's true intentions make for a fun, quick, and satisfyingly eerie read." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

"This ghostly tale will help young listeners understand that our real history can be scarier than fiction, and fans of Mary Downing Hahn will love it." --Booklist

Awards and Praise for The Forgotten Girl:

An NAACP Image Award Nominee for Outstanding Literary Work for Youth/Teens

2020 ALSC Notable Children's Book

"This ghost story gave me chill after chill. It will haunt you." --R.L. Stine, author of Goosebumps

"Engaging, entrancing, and altogether magic! A classic ghost tale that examines racism and segregation in a meaningful story that at its core is about love, friendship, and forgiveness. A beautiful debut." --J. C. Cervantes, New York Times bestselling author of The Storm Runner

"A harrowing yet empowering tale reminding us that the past is connected to the present, that every place and every person has a story, and that those stories deserve to be told." --Renee Watson, New York Times bestselling author of Piecing Me Together

"Scary and spooky and sad and important. I loved every moment of it!" --Ellen Oh, author of Spirit Hunters and founder of We Need Diverse Books

"Frightening and mysterious. A new, creepy favorite." --Dan Poblocki, author of Shadow House and The Ghost of Graylock

"Strong middle-grade characters who will undoubtedly be enjoyed by children and adults alike. The pacing of the plot will surely send a chill through the readers' spines as they follow Iris and her journey with the paranormal. [An] eerie read." --Booklist

"Both historically and culturally relevant, Brown's thoughtful ghost story explores the legacy of racism through segregation." --Publishers Weekly

"The historical information about school desegregation, segregated cemeteries, and the Great Migration are welcome, unique additions. A ghostly tale with a historical twist." --Kirkus Reviews

About the Author

India Hill Brown graduated with a bachelor of arts in mass communication from Claflin University. She was born and raised in South Carolina and currently lives there with her husband and son. Her debut novel, The Forgotten Girl, was an NAACP Image Award nominee and an ALSC Notable Children's Book. She is also the author of The Girl in the Lake. She has worked for HBO, New York Magazine, and the University of South Carolina, and has written for publications such as Teen Vogue, Apartment Therapy, and Sesi Magazine. When she's not working on her novels, she can be found playing around with her toddler, reading a book, or writing in her (many) notebooks. Learn more at IndiaHillBrown.com, and follow her on YouTube (youtube.com/booksandbighair) and on Instagram (@booksandbighair).