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When a young governess arrives at a remote and dreary country estate to take care of two charming little children, she is initially thrilled. However, the longer she stays, the more she realizes that things aren't quite right. The children, while beautiful, are strangely distant, and she feels as if she is being constantly watched. When she witnesses the children speaking with the ghostly apparitions of a man and woman the housekeeper has claimed to have died long ago, she realizes that the estate is not only haunted, but that the darkness plaguing them has only one goal: to take the children. Determined to protect them, the governess must figure out just how far she's willing to go, and whether saving the children is worth her life.
While best-known for
The Turn of the Screw, Henry James wrote many ghost stories during his illustrious career. "The Romance of Certain Old Clothes" and "The Ghostly Rental" are two of those short stories included in this edition.
About the author
Henry James (1843–1916) was born in New York City, but spent most of his adult life in England. As a modernist author, he was especially adept at exploring his characters’ inner thoughts. James is well known for his ghost stories like The Turn of the Screw and transatlantic novels like The Ambassadors and The Portrait of a Lady.
Summary
When a young governess arrives at a remote and dreary country estate to take care of two charming little children, she is initially thrilled. However, the longer she stays, the more she realizes that things aren't quite right. The children, while beautiful, are strangely distant, and she feels as if she is being constantly watched. When she witnesses the children speaking with the ghostly apparitions of a man and woman the housekeeper has claimed to have died long ago, she realizes that the estate is not only haunted, but that the darkness plaguing them has only one goal: to take the children. Determined to protect them, the governess must figure out just how far she's willing to go, and whether saving the children is worth her life.
While best-known for The Turn of the Screw, Henry James wrote many ghost stories during his illustrious career. “The Romance of Certain Old Clothes” and “The Ghostly Rental” are two of those short stories included in this edition.
