A ghost story set in the 1920s features Ophelia, a young African American girl who moves with her mother to Pittsburgh to live with relatives after her father dies. Ophie accompanies her mom to her new job as a housekeeper for a Mrs. Caruthers, a wealthy white woman, and her adult son. Soon Ophie realizes the house is also occupied by ghosts—or haints, as her Aunt Rose calls them. Ophie learns from her aunt that she has inherited the ability to see and communicate with these otherworldly beings, each of who is stuck in a different time period but co-exists on Ophie’s plane. Ophie helps take care of cruel Mrs. Caruthers, who is casual with her racist remarks, and although Ophie is becoming increasingly comfortable with the haints, she doesn’t immediately realize that a young woman who comes to her aid during an early confrontation with Mrs. Caruthers is a ghost as well. Clara used to work in the household but “disappeared,” and people are unwilling to talk about her. Ophie learns from her aunt that there are ways she can help ghosts move beyond the limbo of their trapped existence in the world of the living and onto the next plane, but she also ignores some of Aunt Rose’s advice about how to be careful with ghosts; ultimately she finds herself in a dangerous situation. This original story blends Black history, mystery, ghosts, and Southern Black traditions to make a compelling read. (Ages 8-12)