cover image The Haunted Heart

The Haunted Heart

Blossom Elfman. Fawcett Books, $2.95 (144pp) ISBN 978-0-449-70222-2

Rachael neither likes nor trusts her mother's new husband, Howard. Rachael's mother, determined that her second marriage will succeed, ignores her daughter's worries. But why did Howard insist that Rachael's mother sell her old home immediately and move into his mansion? And what is the truth about Howard's relationship with Sara, the mansion's former caretaker? Despite her initial unease, Rachael does learn to love her new home and the people in it. And when the uglybut not terribly surprisingtruth about Howard is revealed, it is Rachael, not her disillusioned mother, who has the courage to stand by her new family, no matter what. Though much of this novel's action has a closer relation to soap opera than to reality, many adolescents will recognize the intensity of feeling with which Rachael tackles her new life. Ages 12-up. (December)