A Drowned Maiden's Hair - A Review

Maud Flynn is known at the orphanage for her impertinence, so when the charming Miss Hyacinth and her sister choose Maud to take home with them, the girl is as baffled as anyone. It seems the sisters need Maud to help stage elaborate séances for bereaved, wealthy patrons. As Maud is drawn deeper into the deception, playing her role as a "secret child," she is torn between her need to please and her growing conscience — until a shocking betrayal makes clear just how heartless her so-called guardians are. Filled with tantalizing details of turn-of-the-century spiritualism and page-turning suspense, this lively historical novel features a winning heroine whom readers will not soon forget.

I have talked to a couple people about this book and they definitely gave it some mixed reviews. The reason I read it is that it was a 99 cent download for my Kindle that looked rather intriguing. It is definitely a dark story - not dark like witchcrafty or occult - dark as in gloomy. The main character, Maud, is a girl who was left at an orphanage, even when her siblings were adopted together. She's not especially charming or pretty or obedient. She finally gets adopted by 3 sisters who wish to use her as "secret child" to help with their seances, so no one can know she was adopted and has to spend all of her time cooped up with only a deaf maid for company. 

Now, I will say, I really liked the book. I thought it was well-written and I enjoyed the rather sad, gloomy story line. I must have been in just the right mood for this book to strike a chord with me. I liked and at the same time was annoyed by Maud, but then again, she was a rule-breaker and I just can't relate to that (I am square to a fault). I was very endeared by her relationship with Muffet (the maid who was deaf) and the authentic love that developed between the two of them. I was also extremely appalled by the sisters. Appalled.

It did make me sad to think about the sisters taking advantage of people in their times of grief and how that applies to modern-day society as well. "Mediums" and "spiritualists" are often-time crooks and I do think that they delude themselves to a point that they believe they are helping the bereaved. Anyway, I digress. 

I felt like the book had a redeeming ending and enjoyed it overall. I was a little confused in the beginning when Maud's brother randomly shows up, as he doesn't appear again, but I think the author wanted to show just how sad and pitiful Maud's situation was. 


All in all, worth 99 cents for sure. 


Anyone else out there read this book? Thoughts?