Tomorrow's Ghost

Set in the long, hot summer of 1976, Tomorrow’s Ghost is a wonderfully atmospheric story which connects two girls, both orphaned, across time.

In the summer of 1976, Anna wakes from a strange dream to hear her aunt Maggie making plans to send her away for the summer to help her Auntie Em, who has sprained her ankle. Never wanting to be a burden to her aunt who took her in after the death of her parents, Anna readily agrees, despite secret feelings of reluctance. However, Em and her lovely dog, Bob, are welcoming and Anna is full of optimism for the summer ahead. But her strange dreams seem to have followed her to Pear Tree Cottage and when she discovers the ruins of a once-grand house in the woods, Anna is sure it is connected to Etty, the young girl who keeps appearing in her dreams. As she learns more of Etty's story, Anna is determined to save her . . .

Each girl is beautifully captured, making them very relatable and easy to empathise with. After having overheard a conversation, Anna is worried about being a burden on Maggie and so tries to be as helpful and accommodating as possible, usually ignoring her own feelings in the process. Anna also feels lost with her best friend, Suzy, who is now interested in fashion and boys rather than the imaginative games they used to play. Etty has also been orphaned and is sent to live with her cruel and uncompromising Grandfather, who disapproved of her mother. In his house, Etty finds she has to pretend and play the part of a haughty heiress, but dreams of finding freedom and escaping the unhappy life she is trapped in. Her feelings of loss and confusion on arriving at her new home are deeply poignant.

As well as offering a compelling mystery as the connection between the two girls unfolds, the book is also full of historical details, seamlessly woven through the story. The endless, hot summer, fashion ideas, 'Jackie' magazine, district nurses, not flushing the loo to save water . . . 1976 is vividly brought to life for today's readers with its lack of mobile phones and other everyday luxuries taken for granted today (Auntie Em has a small black and white television with poor reception!), offering plenty to talk about.

Readers also learn much about life at the end of the Great War, the flu epidemic and the contrasting lives of the rich and poor. The attitude to women and girls in Etty's time might not surprise readers, but the pressure Anna feels to be a 'good' girl and being sent to look after a relative she barely knows at the age of 12 is sure to cause plenty of comment!

This is a story which has a wide age appeal with plenty to capture imagination and interest. A cracking read!

224 pages / Reviewed by Sue Wilsher, teacher

Suggested Reading Age 9+