In this terrifying ghost story based on true events, the Presidentâs late son haunts the White House, threatening all who live in itâand the divided America beyond its walls. From the bestselling author of The Homecoming.
The year is 1853. President-elect Franklin Pierce is traveling with his family to Washington, DC, when tragedy strikes. In an instant, their train runs off the rails, violently flinging passengers about the cabin. When the great iron machine finally comes to rest, the only casualty is the Piercesâ son, Bennie. The loss sends First Lady Jane Pierce into mourning, and casts Franklinâs presidency under a pall of sorrow and grief.
As the Pierces move into the White House, they are soon plagued by events both bizarre and disturbing. Strange sounds seem to come from the walls and ceiling, ghostly voices echo out of time itself, and visions of spirits crushed under the weight of American history pass through empty hallways. But when Jane orchestrates a sĂŠance with the infamous Fox Sistersâthe most noted Spiritualists of the dayâthe barrier between this world and the next is torn asunder. Something horrific comes through and takes up residence alongside Franklin and Jane in the very walls of the mansion itself.
Only by overcoming their grief and confronting their darkest secrets can Jane and Franklin hope to rid themselvesâand Americaâof the entity that seeks to make the White House its permanent home.