About this item

"Noyes makes history accessible and irresistible . . . Excellent."* A century ago, the curious idea that spirits not only survive death but can be contacted on the "other side" was widespread. Psychic mediums led countless sances, claiming to connect the grieving with their lost relations through everything from frenzied trance writing to sticky expulsions of ectoplasm. The craze caught Harry Houdini's attention. Well-known by then as most renowned magician and escape artist, he began to investigate these spiritual phenomena. Are ghosts real Can we communicate with them Catch them in photographs Or are all mediums "flim-flammers," employing tricks and illusions like Houdini himself Peopled with odd and fascinating characters, Houdini's gripping quest will excite readers' universal wonderment with life, death, and the possibility of the Beyond. *School Library Journal, starred review of Ten Days a Madwoman



About the Author

Deborah Noyes

Deb Noyes writes adult historical fiction, young adult novels and nonfiction, and children's books, and is an editor and photographer. Born in California, she has lived most of her adult life in Massachusetts, working all manner of day jobs to support the writing habit -- from bartender and book reviewer to children's book editor and zookeeper. She's the only person she knows who's been bitten by a dwarf lemur.



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