Voices Airy

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Summary: Psychics and Star-Crossed Lovers
Review: I might be a sucker for tales of psychics and the supernatural, but it was the element of forbidden love that had me hooked on Voices Airy, by Catherine Karp. Even though Lucy, the main character, is jailbait, even by 1918 standards, the tension between her and Joseph, who is considerably older, had me pulling for their union all the way through the novel. Rosaline, a prostitute-turned-spirit-medium who sweeps Joseph off his feet and marries him, manages to be both a formidable adversary and a mother figure to her baby sister Lucy. Following their story was a gut-wrenching treat that had me cheering and crying for both of them, while enjoying the details of WWI San Diego at the same time.

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Summary: Is she truly a conduit to the world beyond?
Review: In Voices Airy, novelist Cahterine Karp takes her readers back to the troubled year of 1918 when America and the world were afflicted by two of the four horsemen of the Apocalypse -- War and Pestilence. The devastating toll of World War I and a global outbreak Spanish influenza leave countless individuals stricken with grief from the loss of loved ones. A San Diego woman offers solace by calling up the spirits of the departed in a darkened seance room. Seen through the eyes of her new husband and younger sister, the question arises... is she a fraud, or delusional? Or is she truly a conduit to the world beyond? A captivating and thought-provoking story of the transitions between life and death.


Rating:
Summary: Refreshingly reminiscent of the old-style gothics
Review: Set in 1918, Voices Airy is a tale filled with the supernatural. After the death of her father, Lucy Crumb travels to San Diego to live with her older sister, Rosaline. On the journey, she meets Joseph Milne, a veteran of WWI with a haunting past. Rosaline is a psychic medium who contacts departed spirits to ease the burden of loved ones left behind. But Lucy begins to suspect that Rosaline might have ulterior motives for calling up the dead. Is Rosaline a fraud, or does she truly possess the gift for communicating with those from beyond the grave?

VOICES AIRY is a unique coming-of-age story with themes ranging from love and jealousy to forgivness. Refreshingly reminiscent of the old-style gothics, this fast-paced story is a magnificent blend of historical drama and ghost story that will keep the reader guessing until the very end. Highly recommended.

Rating:
Summary: Voices Airy
Review: The year is 1918. World War One is rumored to end any day now. The influenza is running rampant. Death and chaos is a common companion. For seventeen-year-old Lucy Crumb, life has never been more uncertain. Her father unexpectedly died of a heart attack. Now she would be living with her older sister whom she hadn't seen for a number of years, since her sister was sent away to a home for unwed mothers. There were other rumors about her sister as well. Some said she was a prostitute. Others said her sister pretended to be sort of a psychic to swindle money out of those who'd lost loved ones in these hard times.

Voices Airy is a lovely story about growing up and finding your own way. This book contains a wonderful mix of serious issues pertaining to the lives of those during World War One and the influenza as well as comical issues of love and the paranormal. In this way, the book is neither too heavy and documentary like nor fluffy without any real content. Furthermore, these two aspects of the book complement each other well as it reinforces the need for hope (no matter how fantastical and bizarre) during the tough times.