In this elegant gothic horror tale set in
post-revolutionary Russia, two formerly aristocratic sisters race to
uncover their family’s long-buried secrets in a house haunted by a past
dangerous—and deadly—to remember.
It is the summer of 1921,
and a group of Bolsheviks have taken over Irina and Lili Goliteva’s
ancestral home in Moscow, a stately mansion falling into disrepair and
decay. The remaining members of their family are ordered to move into
the cramped attic, while the officials take over an entire wing of grand
rooms downstairs. The sisters understand it is the way of things and
know they must forget their noble upbringing to make their way in this
new Soviet Russia. But the house begins to whisper of a traumatic past
not as dead as they thought.
Eager to escape it and their
unwelcome new landlords, Irina and Lili find jobs with the recently
arrived American Relief Administration, meant to ease the
post-revolutionary famine in Russia. For the sisters, the ARA provides
much-needed food and employment, as well as a chance for sensible Irina
to help those less fortunate and artistic Lili to express herself for a
good cause. It might just lead them to love, too.
But at home,
the spirits of their deceased family awaken, desperate to impart what
really happened to them during the Revolution. Soon one of the officials
living in the house is found dead. Was his death caused by something
supernatural, or by someone all too human? And are Irina and Lili and
their family next? Only unearthing the frightening secrets of Moscow
House will reveal all. But this means the sisters must dig deep into a
past no one in Russia except the dead are allowed to remember.
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What I thought about The Haunting of Moscow House
I spent many years in my early reading days indulging in historical fiction and while I don't read as much of this genre as I once did, if the description interests me, I'll give it a try. This book was one where the synopsis grabbed me right away -- historical fiction, romance, with gothic / horror elements -- I was all in.
The story takes place in the 1920 in the aftermath of the Russian Revolution.Two sisters are trying to survive, even thrive in an uncertain environment. Their home has been appropriated by the Bolesheviks, and they have family members that are basically imprisoned in the worst spaces in the house. Tough times.
I did love the cultural aspects of this story. It's always interesting to learn of long-held beliefs of different cultures, especially those that are a bit supernatural or magical. The concept of a house spirit is used effectively in this story and while considered malevolent, there are some interesting qualities here that blur things here. I did like how this brought some horror elements to the story through this folklore. I like to read historical fiction to learn about those times, and this definitely added something there.
Family secrets shake up things at the house, and there are some romantic elements. In spite of all of what goes on in this book, the pace is a bit of more of a slow burn rather than fast paced, which is more to my liking. I also wasn't a fan of the third person point of view, but I became accustomed to it once I got involved in the story.
Overall, I enjoyed this. It's well researched and an accomplished mash-up of historical fiction, the supernatural with a nice dose of romance.
About the Author
Olesya Salnikova Gilmore is
the author of The Witch and the Tsar. Originally from Moscow, she was
raised in the US and graduated from Pepperdine University with a BA in
English/political science, and from Northwestern School of Law with a
JD. She practiced litigation at a large law firm for several years
before pursuing her dream of becoming an author. Now she is happiest
writing speculative historical fiction inspired by Eastern European
history and folklore. Her work has appeared in LitHub, Tor.com,
Historical Novels Review, Bookish, Washington Independent Review of
Books, among others. She lives in a wooded, lakeside suburb of Chicago
with her husband and daughter.
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