Tomorrow’s Ghost is a haunting time-slip historical adventure, a story of connection, of bravery and hope, that completely captivated me.
Twelve-year-old Anna wakes from an unsettling dream to hear her Aunt Maggie making arrangements to send her away for the summer. When her Aunt wakes her in the morning, she tells her that she has been invited to stay with her Auntie Em who has sprained her ankle and wants her to help out whilst she recuperates. Not wanting to cause any trouble and feeling that she is a burden on her Aunt Maggie, Anna agrees to stay with Aunt Em, someone she barely knows.
Not sure what to expect, Anna is pleasantly surprised to be welcomed off the train by a grateful Aunt Em who introduces her to Bob, a huge, excitable bundle of canine delight. Taking the bus to Pear Tree Cottage, Anna immediately feels comfortable in this isolated, picturesque cottage – although her dreams of a young girl, Etty, seem to have followed her from London.
Taking Bob for an early morning walk, he races off after a fox and Anna follows only to find herself on a road leading to locked wrought iron gates. Despite the warning to keep out, Anna needs to find Bob so climbs over the wall to discover a huge, ruined mansion from which sadness emanates. Could this be the house from her dreams, the house where Etty was taken following a tragedy?
As Anna learns more about Etty’s life through her vivid dreams, she realises that she is in terrible danger. Can Anna find a way to cross time to save Etty but, in doing so, will she put her own life at risk?
I absolutely loved this beautifully atmospheric story that brings together two young girls from different times in an intricate, poignant story with some wonderful and unexpected twists. I really enjoyed that the reader learns Etty’s story reflected through Anna’s dreams which gives an otherworldly quality which contrasts with the reality of Anna’s life as she supports her Aunt through her recovery.
Both Anna and Etty are incredibly sympathetic young girls who, despite living in different times, share a connection through the loss of parents at a young age. Anna feels that she is a burden to her hard-working Aunt Maggie who has taken care of her since her parents’ death so she always smiles and agrees to suggestions, regardless of how she is feeling. She is growing apart from her best friend and doesn’t really know how to start a new friendship with the boy she meets in the village shop. Etty has the weight of her cruel, uncaring Grandfather’s expectations upon her young shoulders but she is determined to fight against his demands and seek her freedom. I loved how these two young girls, in need of friendship and understanding, find each other but can they also find what they need in their own time?
A beautifully told, time-slip adventure that brings two young girls together in a poignant and heart-warming story, perfect for readers of 9+.
Thank you to Walker Books for sending me a copy of this book. My review is my honest opinion of the book.
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