Author: Jacquie Walters
Publisher: Little, Brown and Company
Published: March 3, 2026
Going into this book, I felt a bit like the main character, Claire -skeptical of ghosts, searching for alternative explanations for mysterious occurrences.
There are two timelines, one in the present and one in the 1630s. The earlier story is documented at the local historical society; a woman named Edith, a healer and presumed witch, lived in the house that Claire grew up in. In the present story, Claire has trekked from California with her 4-year-old daughter, Julia, because her father is dying of dementia. When her father, daughter, and she herself experience unexplainable sounds and visions, she suddenly realizes that’s what her missing sister was trying to communicate to her more than 20 years ago.
Ethan, a former boyfriend, suggests the block universe theory, which posits that the past, present, and future all exist at once, an interpretation of Einstein’s theory of relativity, is responsible. I don’t usually enjoy books that have a supernatural slant, but this one reads like the best historical fiction, full of facts and details that make you care about the characters. And now, after reading an interview in People Magazine
(https://people.com/jacquie-walters-essay-turn-off-the-light-exclusive-11916278) that talks about the real-life story that inspired this book, I have an even better appreciation for how the author was able to weave together the two tales, which made this one heck of an interesting, suspenseful read.
Thank you to NetGalley and Little, Brown and Company, and to the author for sharing her love of books through her Send-Me-A-Book outreach
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