A mysterious outsider torments two Haitian American sisters, forcing them to confront dark secrets from their familyâs past, in this powerful psychological suspense novel from the acclaimed author of Jackal.
What would you sacrifice to become American?
Everything about the Beauclaire family seems normalâalmost perfect, even. They immigrated to New York City from Haiti years ago, looking for their own piece of Americaâs promised riches. They go to church; they're good neighbors; and their two daughters, Judith and Beatrice, have typical sibling rivalries that keep things interesting. But beneath this polished exterior, something is just slightly off. Thereâs malice waiting . . . wanting to reveal itself.
When their mother unexpectedly dies, Judith and Bea are overwhelmed by a mob of relatives, friends, and church ladies. Amidst taking care of the funeral, they meet LibÃĻte, who claims to be a close friend of their motherâs. Bea welcomes her, but Judith is immediately suspiciousâtheir mother never mentioned LibÃĻte, and yet she seems to know everything about them.
After a series of unsettling eventsâa disfigured doll appearing in their attic, childhood photos of Bea vanishing, and a mysterious illness suddenly afflicting their fatherâJudith and Bea are forced to dive into a hidden world of mythos and question LibÃĻteâs role in it all. What they learn could threaten the bedrock of the entire Beauclaire family . . . and reveal a rot that goes deeper than the roots they first made in this place.