Catalogue

Record Details

Catalogue Search



The residence : a novel  Cover Image Book Book

The residence : a novel / Andrew Pyper.

Pyper, Andrew, (author.).

Summary:

"It is 1853 and President-Elect Franklin Pierce is travelling with his family to Washington, DC, when tragedy strikes. In an instant, their train runs off the rails, violently flinging its passengers about the cabin. When the great iron machine comes to rest, the only casualty of the day is the Pierces' beloved son, Bennie. With this event, the Pierce presidency is cast under a pall of grief. One that will metastasize into something much more malevolent, disturbing, and downright horrifying as the Pierces move into the White House and begin to notice strange goings on: sounds coming from the walls and ceiling, voices that seem to echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history. But when Jane Pierce brings in noted spiritualists of the day, the Fox Sisters, for a séance in the White House, the barrier between good and evil is rent asunder. Something horrible comes through, and takes up residence alongside Franklin and Jane in the walls and floors and ceilings of the very mansion itself. Only by overcoming their grief and confronting their darkest secrets can Jane and Franklin hope to rid themselves--and America--from the curse that haunts the White House.-- WorldCat.

Record details

  • ISBN: 9781982147365
  • ISBN: 1982147369
  • Physical Description: 343 pages ; 23 cm
  • Edition: Simon & Schuster Canada edition.
  • Publisher: Toronto, Ontario : Simon & Schuster, 2020.
Subject: Pierce, Franklin, 1804-1869 > Fiction.
Pierce, Jane M. (Jane Means), 1806-1863 > Fiction.
White House (Washington, D.C.) > Fiction.
Dwellings > Washington (D.C.) > Fiction.
Children of presidents > Fiction.
Families > Washington (D.C.) > Fiction.
Genre: Ghost stories.
Historical fiction.
Biographical fiction.

Available copies

  • 9 of 9 copies available at BC Interlibrary Connect. (Show)
  • 1 of 1 copy available at Fort St. James Public Library.

Holds

  • 0 current holds with 9 total copies.
Show Only Available Copies
Location Call Number / Copy Notes Barcode Shelving Location Holdable? Status Due Date
Fort St. James Public Library PYP (Text) 35196000264353 Adult Fiction Volume hold Available -

  • Booklist Reviews : Booklist Reviews 2020 August #1
    Haunted house stories are a dime a dozen, but haunted White House stories are a bit harder to find. Pyper (The Homecoming, 2019) reimagines life in the Franklin Pierce White House, beginning shortly after his inauguration and the death of his last living son in a bizarre train accident. First Lady Jane Pierce is reticent about joining him at the residence but eventually acquiesces, and sets up a replica of their son's bedroom down the hall from her own. Shortly after the furniture is placed, Mrs. Pierce invites the Fox Sisters, world renowned for their spiritual séances (though they were later unmasked as frauds), to attempt to contact her son. A portal is opened and soon the White House and its inhabitants are surrounded by unexplainable activity with frightening implications. Pyper weaves traditional—and legitimately creepy—horror tropes with a larger examination of the complexities of marriage, and to a lesser degree, the direction and morality of the country at the time of its impending split. Recommended for fans of historical fiction with a bite, like that of Alma Katsu. Copyright 2020 Booklist Reviews.
  • Publishers Weekly Reviews : PW Reviews 2020 June #3

    Pyper (The Homecoming) spins a fascinating horror novel centered on Franklin Pierce, the 14th U.S. President and one of the least effectual, proposing supernatural causes behind the man's failure. Right after Franklin's 1852 election, the death of his 11-year-old son, Bennie, in a train wreck sends Franklin's wife, Jane, into a frenzy of mourning. Since her youth, Jane has been under the influence of "Sir," a malignant, supernatural entity she accidentally summoned. Now she lives in the White House as a bitter recluse and establishes a private "Grief Room" where Bennie's toys and clothing can be kept inviolate—and where a shadowy creature that looks like Bennie can gain substance as it feeds on her grief and love. Franklin, meanwhile, knows he should be working to hold the Union together but can't find the gumption to stand firm. Pyper does a good job of haunting the White House but is less successful at incorporating the real historical horrors of slavery and the looming Civil War. History buffs might take issue with some of the minutiae, but this eerie ghost story is sure to please horror fans. Agent: Kirby Kim, Janklow & Nesbit Assoc. (Sept.)

    Copyright 2020 Publishers Weekly.

Additional Resources