This Cursed House
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by Del Sandeen
Publication Date: October 8, 2024
Publisher: Berkley
Hardcover: 384 Pages
Publisher Description
One of Esquire‘s Best Horror Books of 2024
One of Crime Reads’ Best Gothic Novels of 2024
In this Southern gothic horror debut, a young Black woman abandons her life in 1960s Chicago for a position with a mysterious family in New Orleans, only to discover the dark truth: They’re under a curse, and they think she can break it.
In the fall of 1962, twenty-seven-year-old Jemma Barker is desperate to escape her life in Chicago—and the spirits she has always been able to see. When she receives an unexpected job offer from the Duchon family in New Orleans, she accepts, thinking it is her chance to start over.
But Jemma discovers that the Duchon family isn’t what it seems. Light enough to pass as white, the Black family members look down on brown-skinned Jemma. Their tenuous hold on reality extends to all the members of their eccentric clan, from haughty grandmother Honorine to beautiful yet inscrutable cousin Fosette. And soon the shocking truth comes out: The Duchons are under a curse. And they think Jemma has the power to break it.
As Jemma wrestles with the gift she’s run from all her life, she unravels deeper and more disturbing secrets about the mysterious Duchons. Secrets that stretch back over a century. Secrets that bind her to their fate if she fails.
About the author
Del Sandeen lives in northeast Florida, where she works as a copy editor and writes speculative fiction. This Cursed House is her debut novel.
Read more about Del ON HER WEBSITE
Praise
“A sinister and beautifully rendered Southern Gothic, This Cursed House explores the real-life horrors of racism and trauma. Del Sandeen’s stunning debut haunted me.”—Alexis Henderson, author of The Year of the Witching
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“Heavy as the theme is, This Cursed House is never less than absolutely fun. It’ss self-aware but never self-conscious, and Sandeen pauses the breakneck pace only to ensure that you have a moment to fully grasp the secrets buried in its lineages and family trees, like Wuthering Heights transposed to the Big Easy. It’s such ripe Gothic that if you squeezed it, I’m half convinced blood-red juice would stain your hands”—Esquire
“With her debut novel, Del Sandeen solidifies herself as a force to be reckoned with, as she seamlessly merges the residue of racism and colorism with the horrors of generational trauma that remains centuries later. This is a must-read for lovers of books like Beloved, Kindred, and Corregidora”—Essence
“In this accomplished debut novel exploring topics of racism, slavery, family, and forgiveness, author Del Sandeen has generated a perfect Southern Gothic vibe, both chilling and suspenseful” —Mystery & Suspense