Synopses & Reviews
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 novel was inspired by the author's visit to the plantation and her experiences there.
Synopsis
Lila
When thirteen-year-old Lila and her family visit Laurel Oaks Plantation in Louisiana, her parents and brother scoff at the claim that the house is haunted. Lila isnt so ready to dismiss the idea. Ever since her friend Roberto died, shes been hearing his voice in the middle of the night. But there are no such things as ghosts, are there? Maybe here, at Laurel Oaks, Lila will find out for sure….
Daphne
Daphne was alive once, long ago. She was a house slave to Judge Nethercott at Laurel Oaks Plantation. She met her end in the wintry waters of the Mississippi when she was accused of poisoning her masters wife and two little girls. For two centuries, Daphne has been waiting—waiting for the one who can discover the truth and set her spirit free. Could Lila be the one?
About the Author
LOIS RUBY is an accomplished novelist who has written many books for
children and young adults. A former young adult librarian, Ms. Ruby now
spends most of her time writing. She and her husband live in Albuquerque,
New Mexico.