THE SEER

A young woman comes to terms with her psychic abilities and her family’s past in Levitt’s historical novel set in 1890s Missouri.

The women in Sarah Richardson’s family all possess the gift of clairvoyance—they can read moods via the color of another person’s “mist” and see into others’ pasts and presents. These gifts, and the uncomfortable secrets they reveal, have caused the Richardsons some difficulties. When Sarah’s sister Katherine develops a psychic bond with a woman being abused by her husband, Katherine’s attempt to intervene leads to disaster, and her father sends her to an asylum in St. Louis for her own safety (“Katherine’s pleading eyes were locked on mine as the woman placed the cloth into my sister’s mouth and tied it behind her head”). Years later, Sarah still carries guilt about the role she inadvertently played in the situation and moves to St. Louis hoping to reconcile with her sister. Initially, nothing turns out as Sarah hoped; Katherine rebuffs her, and Sarah develops feelings for a man engaged to a friend of hers. When Sarah encounters a timid woman named Norma, who has a dark mist, she realizes that their fates are intertwined and that she has been given a chance to redeem herself. Sarah is determined to help Norma escape her dangerous husband, no matter the cost. This is a passionate, heartwarming novel that effortlessly imbues its historical setting with elements of magical realism. Sarah goes on an inspiring journey as she tests her character, discovering what she believes in and what she’s willing to fight for. (A prominent thread throughout the story is the bond between women and how much stronger they are when they stand in solidarity with each other.) Moments that could have read as saccharine are conveyed with an honesty and elegance. Levitt draws a clear through-line between women’s political goals and their personal lives as Sarah and Katherine both join the local Women’s Equality Society. The dramatic ending stretches credulity a bit, but it’s emotionally satisfying enough to be forgiven.

An engrossing, touching novel, perfect for lovers of women’s fiction.