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The Haunting of Alma Fielding

SHORTLISTED FOR THE BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE 2020
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( 4,875 ratings, 713 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale delves into the mysterious life of Alma Fielding, a suburban housewife in 1930s London, who experiences strange and unsettling supernatural events. As the phenomena attract both media attention and the scrutiny of a renowned ghost hunter, the story explores themes of fear, belief, and the psychological underpinnings of the paranormal, revealing deeper insights into the social and personal issues of the era.
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Format: Paperback / softback
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you enjoy true-life tales intricately woven with history and mystery. It delves into a gripping investigation of supernatural events and personal trauma in 1930s Britain, offering a fascinating glimpse into the era's cultural and psychological landscape. It's perfect for those intrigued by the intersection of the paranormal and the real world.

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The extraordinary story of a 1930s ghost hunt, and the woman who confounded the world, from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

The extraordinary story of a 1930s ghost hunt, and the woman who confounded the world, from the bestselling, award-winning author of The Suspicions of Mr Whicher

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

SHORTLISTED FOR THE 2020 BAILLIE GIFFORD PRIZE

‘A page-turner with the authority of history’ PHILIPPA GREGORY
‘As gripping as a novel. An engaging, unsettling, deeply satisfying read’ SARAH WATERS

London, 1938. Alma Fielding, an ordinary young woman, begins to experience supernatural events in her suburban home.

Nandor Fodor – a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research – begins to investigate. In doing so, he discovers a different and darker type of haunting: trauma, alienation, loss – and the foreshadowing of a nation’s worst fears. As the spectre of Fascism lengthens over Europe, and as Fodor’s obsession with the case deepens, Alma becomes ever more disturbed.

With rigour, daring, and insight, the award-winning pioneer of historical narrative non-fiction, Kate Summerscale, shadows Fodor’s enquiry, delving into long-hidden archives to find the human story behind a very modern haunting.

‘An empathetic, meticulous account of a spiritual unravelling; a tribute to the astonishing power of the human mind - but also a properly absorbing, baffling, satisfying detective story’ AIDA EDEMARIAM

A PICK OF THE AUTUMN IN THE TIMES, SUNDAY TIMES, OBSERVER AND THE GUARDIAN

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale is lauded for its gripping narrative and atmospheric storytelling. Critics praise its expert blend of history and supernatural elements, with comparisons to Gothic fiction and detective tales. The book is noted for revealing insights into a historical moment of mass anxiety, while its careful research and vivid portrayal of characters and settings keep readers hooked.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781408895474

Publisher: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 16 September 2021

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Bloomsbury Publishing PLC

Audience: General / adult, Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 24.0mm

Width: 128.0mm

Height: 196.0mm

Weight: 301g

Pages: 368

About the Author

Kate Summerscale is the author of the number one bestselling The Suspicions of Mr Whicher, winner of the Samuel Johnson Prize for Non-Fiction, the Galaxy British Book of the Year Award, a Richard & Judy Book Club pick and adapted into a major ITV drama. Her first book, the bestselling The Queen of Whale Cay, won a Somerset Maugham award and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Award. Her third book, Mrs Robinson’s Disgrace, was a Sunday Times bestseller; while her fourth, The Wicked Boy, was shortlisted for the CWA Gold Dagger. Elected a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature in 2010, she lives in London. katesummerscale.com

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