The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird

By: Louisa Morgan

Narrated by: Lily Emil Lammers

Length: 10 hrs and 39 mins

Publisher's summary

The Ghosts of Beatrice Bird is an unforgettable story of obsession, redemption, and the magic of unexpected friendship, from the acclaimed author of A Secret History of Witches.

Beatrice Bird is haunted by ghosts—a gift she's had since she was a small child. Unfortunately, it's an ability that has now grown more intense, shifting from flashes and feelings to physical manifestations she can't escape.

In a desperate attempt to find relief, Beatrice flees her home, her partner, and her psychology practice in San Francisco for a remote island with only nuns and a few cows for company. She doesn’t call home. She sees as few people as she possibly can. Then she meets Anne Iredale, a timid woman who has lost everything that matters to her.

For the first time in a long time, Beatrice's gift will be called on to help someone in need. But the ghosts have taken on an even darker edge—and there is something sinister lurking in the shadows. Beatrice may not be enough to stop what's coming for them.

For more from Louisa Morgan, check out:

A Secret History of Witches

The Witch's Kind

The Age of Witches

The Great Witch of Brittany

©2023 Louisa Morgan (P)2023 Redhook

Critic reviews

"Superbly written...At once surprising, suspenseful, and thought-provoking, this may be Morgan’s most compelling book yet."—Booklist

"With suspense, sympathy, and pathos, Morgan illuminates the pain of abuse and the path toward healing."—Publishers Weekly

great writing

I loved this book. she is an incredible author. she's a great story teller. I can't wait for her next book.

another favorite

I have enjoyed Louisa Morgan's work in the past and was not disappointed by her new offering.

I loved the character development

I seem to love everything that Ms. Morgan writes, and this one was incredible. The characters and the story had me not wanting to stop reading, no matter how late the hour was.

Superb

I loved listening to this book because it made me anxious to listen to it. When a book is so well-written that the reader/listener becomes totally immersed and sympathetic/empathetic with the characters and become so anxious that one hesitates to start it each time, dreading what might happen. That is an exceptional book.
This was me. I love reading Louisa Morgan/Louise Marley since reading The Glass Harmonica and I am always enthralled with her books, but this one was the most riveting.
The main characters, Beatrice and Anne, pulled me in immediately. The setting is mostly in 1977 and mostly on an island in PNW. There is some background time spent in other locales but the nexus is mostly on this remote island.
Beatrice has fled here to come to grips with her ability to see ghosts but gets slowly drawn back into other's lives when Anne appears on her doorstep. Anne is escaping from an abusive family situation. This is the part that caused me to be so anxious each time I readied myself to listen to more of the story. It wasn't just Anne's husband who was abusive, she was raised in an abusive family. Not physically but mentally. Overbearing male figure, submissive female. It angered me so much to see how Anne's father behaved as much as Anne's husband, The Judge [as he always seemed to be in career and demeanor] who was abusive mentally and physically. Controlling every aspect is abuse to the point of isolation as much as physical abuse. Anne's parents concurring as "James is a Judge after all and it's just the way things are" left Anne alone.
The story is told through Anne, Beatrice and Anne's young son Benjamin and it's necessary to have the different voices.
For anyone who is squeamish about ghosts/spirits, the paranormal aspect is part of the story but it doesn't overwhelm. The whole story is key.
I can absolutely recommend this book and author.

Meh

This was the worst Luisa Morgan book of the lot on Audible. Narration was terrible.