The Ghost of Northumberland Strait
by Lori Knutson
Napoleon Publishing, 2008
ISBN 978-1-894917-43-8
$9.95, 146 pp, ages 8 – 12
www.napoleonandcompany.com
In this story—which incorporates elements of mystery, time travel and contemporary issues like the aftermath of divorce— thirteen-year-old Charly becomes friends with a mysterious young woman who lived long ago. Part of the mystery is that only Charly can see this ghostly woman. They meet in an old house that sits on the shore above Northumberland Strait in Prince Edward Island. Charly has recently moved to PEI from Alberta with her mother and sister to live with her Grammie after her parent’s divorce. She explores a run-down, abandoned house not far from Grammie’s, but sometimes when she enters the property, she encounters Katherine and finds that the house is restored to the way it was when Katherine was alive. Parts of the mystery are revealed only at the end of the story, keeping the reader wondering about how and why Katherine died, and why Charly is the only one who can connect with her. The Ghost of Northumberland Strait is a first novel for Lori Knutson, skillfully written in a lively style that clearly demonstrates that the author can develop a complex story line and that she understands the idioms of today’s youth.
This review is from Canadian Teacher Magazine’s January 2009 issue.
