American Spirits: The Fox Sisters

· Astra Publishing House
Ebook
304
Pages
This book will become available on April 15, 2025. You will not be charged until it is released.

About this ebook

Could the Fox sisters actually speak to the dead—or were they frauds?

Rap. Rap. Rap. The eerie sound was first heard in March of 1848 at the home of the Fox family in Hydesville, New York. The family’s two daughters, Kate and Maggie, soon discovered that they could communicate with the spirit that was making these uncanny noises; he told them he had been a traveling peddler who had been murdered. This strange incident, and the ones that followed, generated a media frenzy beyond anything the Fox sisters could have imagined. Kate and Maggie, managed (or perhaps manipulated) by their elder sister Leah, became famous spirit mediums, giving public exhibitions, and advising other celebrities of their day.

But were the Fox sisters legitimate? In the years that followed their rise, the Civil War killed roughly 1 in 4 soldiers, increasing the demand for contacting the dead. However, media campaigns against the sisters gathered steam as well...

This thrilling and mysterious true story from veteran author Barb Rosenstock (Caldecott Honor winner) will spark teens’ interest in American history, encourage media literacy, and reveal insights into the Civil War era, fake news, and women's rights.

About the author

Barb Rosenstock is the author of many nonfiction books for young people, including Mornings With Monet, Fight of the Century, Prairie Boy, and Dorothea’s Eyes. Her picture book on Vasily Kandinsky, The Noisy Paint Box, won the Caldecott Honor. Visit barbrosenstock.com.

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