The Ghosts of Kerfol

In an enthralling work of Gothic suspense, an Edith Wharton story inspires five connected tales set in the same haunted manor over the centuries. (Age 14 and up)In her classic ghost story "Kerfol," Edith Wharton tells the tale of Anne de Barrigan, a young Frenchwoman convicted of murdering her husband, the jealous Yves de Cornault. The elderly lord was found dead on the stairs, apparently savaged by a pack of dogs, though there were no dogs -- no live dogs -- at Kerfol that day. In this remarkable collection of intertwining short stories, Deborah Noyes takes us back to the haunted manor and tells us Anne de Barrigan's story through the sympathetic eyes of her servant girl. Four more tales slip forward in time, peering in on a young artist, a hard-drinking party girl, a young American couple, and a deaf gardener who now tends the Kerfol estate. All these souls are haunted by the ghosts of Kerfol -- the dead dogs, the sensual yet uneasy relationships, and the bitter taste of revenge.

From School Library Journal

Grade 9 Up—Beginning with a gothic tale set in 17th-century France and culminating with a modern, spine-tingling horror story, Ghosts is a collection of five short stories that center around one haunted house. Based on Edith Wharton's "Kerfol," the first one features the young wife of an abusive, older lord who also showers her with gifts, one of which is a sapphire necklace that appears in the subsequent tales. Although the master kills his wife's dogs one by one, the story ends with him found dead, mysteriously mauled by canines. The second tale takes place in the Napoleonic era with the new heir to Kerfol, nephew to a childless great-aunt, beset with nightmares about his father's death and haunted by a nonexistent pack of dogs. Both the following story, featuring a 1920s flapper, and a modern tale include some suggestive sexual scenes, but they in no way diminish the value of these creepy ghost stories that are reminiscent of Shirley Jackson's work. The first story is the longest and most difficult and may be a hard sell for less-sophisticated readers. If they can hang in, however, they will be rewarded with some great gooseflesh and an exciting read.—Jake Pettit, Thompson Valley High School Library, Loveland, CO Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

From Booklist

*Starred Review* Noyes’ talent as an editor of creepy ghost stories is evident in her anthologies, Gothic! (2004) and The Restless Dead (2007). This brilliant collection is comprised of her own original tales, which are all based on Edith Wharton’s 1916 story, “Kerfol.” The first entry, set in 1613 in a French château, stays close to Wharton’s original plot about a young woman on trial for the mysterious murder of her jealous husband, but Noyes employs a different narrative perspective—that of a serving girl. The four following, interconnected stories are set between 1802 and 2006. Noyes sometimes incorporates Wharton’s phrases and dialogue from “Kerfol,” but she cleverly adds her own style and twists to the original’s gothic elements and themes of betrayal and vengeance. The story set in 1926 relates the tragedy of a gin-drinking party girl and brings Prohibition to life; the 1982 story features a young, thrill-seeking couple who visits a French château after dark. The ghost dogs of the original story feature in each of these unique, mesmerizing tales, as does the dark sensuality of the women. Although curious teens will be motivated to seek out the original Wharton story, Noyes supplies enough back matter to make that effort purely optional. Grades 8-11. --Cindy Dobrez

Booklist (starred review)

Unique, mesmerizing tales…dark sensuality.

About the Author

Deborah Noyes is the editor of the young adult anthologies Gothic!, The Restless Dead, and Sideshow. She is also the author of several novels for adults, as well as an accomplished photographer. Deborah Noyes lives near Boston.

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