It started out as a harmless prank. But soon enough, spiritualism was the fastest growing movement of the nineteenth century, and Maggie Fox was trapped in a life of deceit.
Meticulously researched by the author, We Hear the Dead reveals the secret of how the Fox sisters faked their rapping sounds and their motives for inventing the séance and founding spiritualism.
Maggie:
I began the deception when I was too young to know right from wrong. No one suspected us of any trick, because we were such young children. We were led on by my sister purposely and by my mother unintentionally. Only with the passing of time did I come to understand the consequences of my actions. As Doctor wrote to me: "Weary, weary is the life by cold deceit oppressed."
Kate:
My sister has used the word "deception." I object to her use of that word, for I do not believe that I have ever intentionally deceived anyone. Maggie has a different understanding of all the events that have happened since that night in Hydesville forty years ago. To her the spirits were always a game. For my sister Leah, they were a means to an end. For my mother, a miracle. And for me, they were my life's calling. I have no regrets.
Avi Greenbaum is Jewish and lives in West Jerusalem. Moussa Shakir is Palestinian and lives in East Jerusalem. Both are 15 years old, live without their fathers, adore their older brothers, and belong to the same soccer club. Avi commemorates the Holocaust and celebrates Israeli independence, while Moussa mourns on Nakba Day, marking the expulsion of Palestinians from their homes and land in 1948. Their lives are parallel lines: they have everything in common and nothing at all. Each is oblivious to the others existence.
As Avi and Moussa go about their daily routines in the spring of 2006, they face reminders of the conflict that has dogged the region for the past three generations the security wall, suicide bombings, police operations, and the looming shadow of war. While navigating this legacy of suspicion and violence, they must decide what their own roles in the stalemate will be.
The junior homecoming dance is right around the corner. And there you are--without a date. Your best friend invites you to join the decorating committee; she swears the quiet guy in your English class is going to be there. Another friend is eager to hit the mall in search of the perfect dress. If the football players just happen to be hanging out in the food court, all the better! To decorate, or not to decorate? Vintage dress? Or just-arrived-in-stores chic? And at every page turn, there is the question of your date. Will you land the guy you want? Or will you go to the dance alone, if you go at all?
If you've ever wondered "What if…" when it comes to boys and dating, DATE HIM OR DUMP HIM is a fun, interactive series that lets you navigate the ups and downs of the dating scene. Maybe you'll get the guy, maybe you won't--or maybe you'll decide you don't want him after all. And remember: with more than twenty possible endings, if he's not the boy of your dreams, you can always go back and choose another one!
