The Swallow: A Ghost Story

By Charis Cotter

Book Overview

A classic ghost story with twists and turns: a spooky house, a malevolent spirit and two plucky heroines. In 1960s Toronto, two girls retreat to their attics to escape the loneliness and isolation of their lives. Polly lives in a house bursting at the seams with people, while Rose is often left alone by her busy parents. Polly is a down-to-earth dreamer with a wild imagination and an obsession with ghosts; Rose is a quiet, ethereal waif with a sharp tongue. Despite their differences, both girls spend their days feeling invisible and seek solace in books and the cozy confines of their respective attics. But soon they discover they aren't alone--they're actually neighbors, sharing a wall. They develop an unlikely friendship, and Polly is ecstatic to learn that Rose can actually see and talk to ghosts. Maybe she will finally see one too But is there more to Rose than it seems? Why does no one ever talk to her? And why does she look so ... ghostly? When the girls find a tombstone with Rose's name on it in the cemetery and encounter an angry spirit in her house who seems intent on hurting Polly, they have to unravel the mystery of Rose and her strange family... before it's too late.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1770495924
• ISBN13: 9781770495920
• Release Date: September 2017
• Publisher: Tundra Books (NY)
• Length: 320 Pages
• Weight: 0.75 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 5.4" x 7.9"
• Age Range: 9 to 12 years
• Grade Range: Grades 4 to 7

Customer Reviews

An enticing cover led to an enticing book

The Swallow is the first of Charis Cotter's books that I read, and it's the reason I've got more. The story shifts viewpoints from one girl, Polly, to another, Rose. It's set in 1963, a year I lived through, but in Toronto, Canada, which I have never visited. Rose is a lonely only child. Polly wishes she were an only child. Besides her 17-year-old sister, Lucy, her 8-year-old twin brothers, Mark and Matthew, 16-year-old Marian and 15-year-old Gudrun live with the family. Baby Susan is the last straw for Polly because the baby shares her room. Polly is desperate for time to be alone and read, but the Horrors, as she calls the twins, keep finding her and teasing her. Polly escapes to the attic, which is forbidden because it doesn't have proper flooring, so it's not safe. While she's reading a book I wish were real, she hears singing. Polly has always wanted to meet a ghost. Is her wish about to come true? Poor Rose does see ghosts, so she doesn't share or even understand Polly's desire to see one. Worse, Polly assumes that Rose is a ghost. No, but Rose's house really is haunted -- and the ghost is far from friendly. It's especially angry with Polly. Why? There are mysteries and discoveries. I admit that one took me completely by surprise. I read the first two chapters one night and planned to read a little the next day. No, once I started chapter three, I couldn't stop until I was finished. This isn't just a very good ghost story for children. It's good enough to entertain adults, too.