The Promise

What starts out as a fairly conventional love story finishes as a ghost tale, blending the horror of war with the sepulchral chill of the supernatural. Bob's friendship with beautiful, sickly Valerie soon becomes romantic. When Valerie dies, only Bob knows that her willful spirit still lingers among the living. What Bob does not fully realize, however, is that this spirit is determined to leech away his own life force. Westall's gripping tale is good, spooky fun--and thought-provoking as well. The authentically depicted setting--northern England, at the time of World War II--serves to anchor the ghostly goings-on firmly in the real world. Ages 12-up. (Mar.)