Author: Cat WintersFrom the award-winning author of In the Shadow of Blackbirds comes a stunning new novel—a masterfully crafted story of love, loss, and second chances. Set during the fear and panic of the Great Influenza of 1918, The Uninvited is part gothic ghost-story, part psychological thriller, perfect for those who loved The Thirteenth Tale by Diane Setterfield or The Vanishing by Wendy Webb.
Twenty-five year old Ivy Rowan rises from her bed after being struck by the flu, only to discover the world has been torn apart in just a few short days.
But Ivy’s life-long gift—or curse—remains. For she sees the uninvited ones—ghosts of loved ones who appear to her, unasked, unwelcomed, for they always herald impending death. On that October evening in 1918 she sees the spirit of her grandmother, rocking in her mother’s chair. An hour later, she learns her younger brother and father have killed a young German out of retaliation for the death of Ivy’s older brother Billy in the Great War.
Horrified, she leaves home, to discover the flu has caused utter panic and the rules governing society have broken down. Ivy is drawn into this new world of jazz, passion, and freedom, where people live for the day, because they could be stricken by nightfall. But as her ‘uninvited guests’ begin to appear to her more often, she knows her life will be torn apart once more, but Ivy has no inkling of the other-worldly revelations about to unfold.
After two literary successes for young adults, the amazing Cat Winters is back with The Uninvited, a breathtaking story about a 25-year-old girl fighting the heavy burden of her family’s sins. Winters takes us back to final days of World War I, right in the middle of the 1918 flu pandemic, and although it’s not her first foray into that very same time period, The Uninvited stands on its own two feet, beautiful and incomparable with anything she’s done before.
The psychology of war is a dreadful thing. The hate, the whispers, dehumanization, strengthened by very loud and convincing propaganda, combine to create an atmosphere of fear and turn regular people into mindless monsters. Winters’ understanding of this phenomenon, of the mass hysteria that is so easily created when people fear for their lives, is profound. Ivy’s father is one of those war-made monsters, and so is her 17-year-old brother. After they kill a German business owner in their small town, Ivy leaves home, ridden with guilt, to somehow make things right. For all her innocence, Ivy has a backbone of steel. Her moral compass is impeccable and her bravery is astounding. It takes a great person to swim out of that pool of hate and see things for what they are, and our Ivy manages beautifully. It’s not something that happens from one moment to the next, but the process itself is a thing to behold.
The unconventional romance is one of this book’s many strengths. Bonded by a terrible tragedy and more guilt than two people should ever carry, Ivy and Daniel find solace in each other, first physically, and then emotionally. It’s a long, painful road filled with surprises, but it’s one worth taking, even when you’re crying your eyes out.
While it doesn’t quite reach the literary heights of In the Shadow of Blackbirds (then again, I suspect nothing ever will), The Uninvited is a flawless story by one of my favorite authors in the world. The magic of Cat Winters is very much alive and it seems to be a gift that just keeps on giving.
About Cat Winters:
Praise for The Uninvited:
“Dark and romantic…[The protagonist’s] compelling voice carries this gothic coming-of-age story, at once horrifying and tender, toward a revelatory yet hopeful conclusion.”
— Publishers Weekly
“A wonderfully atmospheric and intriguing novel. Cat Winters portrays a fascinating period in American history with clever writing and a delicious plot twist. A novel that is sure to keep readers hooked to the end.”
— Hazel Gaynor, New York Times bestselling author
“Evocative and lushly written, THE UNINVITED also features a twist I never saw coming.”
— April Henry, New York Times bestselling author
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