The lightheartedly rendered fictional story of Phoebe Hicks is as much about the setting where the action takes place (19th-century New England) as it is about its heroine, the inspired star of the Spiritualist Sessions. In the ingeniously composed miniatures that make up the chapters of the book (we present only a few below), Agnieszka Taborska constantly oscillates between rationality and deceptive maneuvers, between humor and erudition. Don't miss the duel between Harry Houdini and our protagonist!

donut with mussels

The premise that a piece of stale clam that ended up in a culinary delicacy known throughout New England served for spiritual photography is no exaggeration. This highly venomous morsel was the basis of the madness that had possessed the hearts and minds of New England Puritans for many years to return.

On November 1 , 1847, Phoebe Hicks returned home earlier than usual. As soon as she crossed the threshold, she burst into her bedroom and ran straight to the sink instead of onto the overlong bed, which by today's standards is rather short. She leaned forward and vomited - once, twice, unable to control herself after the third time. She vomited all night, occasionally rinsing her sweaty face with water from the blue jug with twigs. After only an hour, she had nothing left inside except brown bile, which she kept coming up. Locks of black hair slipped out of her tight bun – stiff, sticky, smelly – and stuck to her cheeks like seaweed. She was shaking all over - her hands were numb, her head was breaking from violent cramps. His back ached, pinched like his knees in an awkward place.

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