THE MADNESS OF MRS. WHITTAKER

In the sixth volume of Michaels’ Golden City series, a recent widow confronts a spiritualist cult and a manipulative, dominating mother-in-law.

As the story opens in 1907, Mae Byrne Whittaker is tending to her dying husband, Albert St. John “Sinjun” Whittaker II. Raging with fever, he extracts a reluctant promise from her to continue his missionary work under the guidance that he says she’ll receive from his spirit. The passionate, devout Sinjun had brought her and their son, Liam, to Panama to spread the word of God. Now, malaria threatens to put an end to his aspirations. Mae brings Sinjun and Liam to their native San Francisco in the hope of saving her husband’s life, but he dies a day short of arriving home. He leaves his entire estate in trust to young Liam, and as a result, Mae is effectively penniless. Ida Whittaker, Sinjun’s mother, convinces her to spend the summer with her and Sinjun’s sister, Claire, at the family retreat in Glen Ellen, north of the city. Then Claire implores Mae to attend a meeting of her spiritualist cohorts, led by a medium known as Mrs. Springvale, who claims to be able to contact the spirits of deceased loved ones. However, Mae’s decision to accompany her sister-in-law will eventually lead to Mae’s being committed to a private mental institution. So begins a dark historical melodrama in which almost no one is quite whom they seem. Despite the story’s spiritualist trappings, the malevolent forces that propel the narrative are anything but ethereal. However, Michaels is an able and articulate storyteller who skillfully weaves some bright spots into the tale, including a potential romance for the protagonist. The characters of Cordelia Hammersmith and Dove Rebane, who pursue their best friend, Mae, when she goes missing, provide welcome relief from the wretchedness of the institution and the evil machinations at Glen Ellen. Mae also becomes an inspiration for other oppressed inmates as she plans her escape.

An evocative period piece with compelling drama and a satisfying final twist.