THE GIRLS AND THE GHOSTS OF THE OLD MANSE REVISITED

In Skilbeck’s haunting coming-of-age novel, a teenager comes to grips with the past of her new home in the Northern Irish countryside.

It’s 1972, and 12-year-old Australian Roxy and her family have just started a new life at the Old Manse, a “derelict” 19th-century structure packed with “indistinct memories of other people’s lives.” Before the family purchased it, the previous owners disclosed a frightening story about the property: The former inhabitants—a reverend, his wife, and their three children—had all died in the house in the 19th century. Strange occurrences begin to unsettle the new family, including odd sounds and a mysterious illness. Still, Roxy manages to find a sense of normalcy through her adventures with new teenage friend Margy, including underage drinking and seances with a Ouija board. In these early pages, Skilbeck conjures an atmosphere that’s gloomy and compelling; the tone becomes even darker after the family’s Easter-break trip to Sweden goes awry. After the family discovers the death of an extended family member, they get caught in a blizzard and their vehicle skids on black ice, causing an accident. Roxy must take daily tranquilizers afterward, which affect her studies and other aspects of her life, including a close relationship with an artistic 25-year-old named Elvis. At a few points, the narrative shifts to other time periods, including that of the previous residents—the Rev. Austin Stirlington, his wife Victoria, and their kids in 1860—while building toward a deeper understanding of Roxy’s family’s connection to the house. Skilbeck’s prose has an appealingly sharp tone throughout, especially in its rendering of the young protagonist’s breakthroughs: “Was it better to live in blissful ignorance, enjoying life as you lived it, or to prepare for your death, the inevitable end?” The novel’s historical grounding also stands out, addressing tensions in Northern Ireland, shaped by sectarian identity, as well as the Irish Potato Famine. The result is a multifaceted portrait of the setting with plenty of mystery, wonder, and alluring, gothic unease.

An engaging read that’s illuminated by skillful worldbuilding.