Book Review: “Ophie’s Ghosts” by Justina Ireland

“Ophie’s Ghosts” by Justina Ireland (2021)

Genre: Historical Fiction, Middle Grade, Mystery

Page Length: 336 pages (hardcover edition)

Synopsis:

Ophelia Harrison used to live in a small house in the Georgia countryside. But that was before the night in November 1922, and the cruel act that took her home and her father from her. Which was the same night that Ophie learned she can see ghosts.

Now Ophie and her mother are living in Pittsburgh with relatives they barely know. In the hopes of earning enough money to get their own place, Mama has gotten Ophie a job as a maid in the same old manor house where she works.

Daffodil Manor, like the wealthy Caruthers family who owns it, is haunted by memories and prejudices of the past–and, as Ophie discovers, ghosts as well. Ghosts who have their own loves and hatreds and desires, ghosts who have wronged others and ghosts who have themselves been wronged. And as Ophie forms a friendship with one spirit whose life ended suddenly and unjustly, she wonders if she might be able to help–even as she comes to realize that Daffodil Manor may hold more secrets than she bargained for.

Review:

Ophie’s Ghosts is an enthralling middle-grade novel filled with mysterious and disturbing secrets that lie within the Daffodil Manor. After a tragedy, Ophie and her mother are forced to leave everything they’ve known and start a new life in Pittsburgh. Both are trying to process their grief while also looking forward to a new start that will help them get back on their feet. However, what starts as a simple job at the manor becomes entangled as Ophie comes face to face with the ghastly spirits that reside in the house. Can she discover the secrets before it becomes too late?

This novel was engaging from beginning to end. I empathized with Ophie and admired her great courage to take matters into her own hands. I don’t know if I would be able to handle seeing the ghosts as well as she would especially since she can’t turn her sight off. She has a few tools to protect herself from malevolent spirits, but seeing as this ability is new to her she has to carefully navigate things on her own.

Daffodil Manor seems like a perfect setting for a ghost story with its creaking floors, narrow corridors, and residents who seem reluctant to talk about the house’s spirit. I enjoyed Ireland’s detailed and immersive writing that puts the reader into the story and creepy atmosphere the story sets. On top of that, I appreciated the rich history in the novel and how it teaches middle-grade readers about the horrors and history of racism. The story was very emotional at times as ghosts are used as a metaphor for the ghosts of the character’s past and America’s as well. This novel teaches its intended audience that readers should never forget the past and always be willing to listen and learn.

There are hard-hitting at many moments of the novel and it can be difficult to read at times, but stories like Ophie’s are so important. I highly recommend this novel!

Final Verdict: