
Kathleen Kaufman
The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey
The Entirely True Story of the Fantastical Mesmerist Nora Grey by Kathleen Kaufman
🔮✨ For readers of Sarah Penner, Alice Hoffman, and Hester Fox comes a lushly atmospheric, gothic historical novel that blends feminine rage, spiritualism, and inherited power into a mesmerizing tale across generations.
At the dawn of the 20th century, as séances sweep high society and the veil between worlds thins, Nairna Liath, a gifted Scottish girl, flees a life of deception and poverty for a future laced with danger, secrets, and supernatural revelations.
Raised by a charlatan father who stages false spirit encounters, Nairna hides a genuine psychic gift—one that could see her branded a witch. When her grandmother Lottie’s tragic tale of imprisonment in a notorious asylum begins to surface from beyond the grave, Nairna must confront a legacy of feminine power suppressed and twisted by greed and fear. 🕯️🃏👻
From rural Scotland to the elite parlors of Edinburgh and the séance halls of Boston, Nairna—now Nora Grey— must decide who she really is: a vessel for profit, or a force of her own making. When she’s offered the stage for one final, spectacular séance, the spirits have one last message—and the truth can no longer be buried.
🌫️ Themes:
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Spiritualism & séance culture
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Intergenerational trauma & legacy
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Gothic feminism & historical suspense
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Dark secrets, empowerment, and revenge
Perfect for fans of: The Lost Apothecary, The Witch of Tin Mountain, and The Widow of Pale Harbor