The Household Spirit

(Paperback)

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Description

Theres something wrong next door. At least, thats what neighbors Howie Jeffries and Emily Phane both think. Since his daughter and wife moved out, Howie has been alone, an accidental recluse content with his fishing and his dreams of someday sailing away from himself on a boat. Emily couldnt be more different: shes irreverent, outgoing and seemingly well-adjusted. But when Emily returns from college to care for her dying grandfather, Howie cant help but notice her increasingly erratic behavior - not to mention her newfound love of nocturnal gardening.

The thing is, although theyve lived side by side in the only two houses on rural Route 29 in upstate New York since Emily was born, Howie and Emily have never so much as spoken. Both have their reasons: Howie is debilitatingly shy; Emily has been hiding the fact that she suffers from a nighttime affliction that makes her both terrified to go to sleep, and question the very reality of her waking life . It is only when tragedy strikes that their worlds, finally, become joined in ways neither of them could ever have imagined.

A poignant, big-hearted, and often humorous novel about two very unique individuals unceremoniously thrown together, The Household Spirit is a story about how little we know the people we see every day - and of the unexpected capabilities of the human heart.

Reviews

The Household Spirit is a heartwarming story of loneliness and connection. -- Lydia Winter * Financial Times *
Rarely have I been so captivated by a novel. Its compassion, wisdom, warmth. I loved it. -- Nathan Filer, author of 'The Shock of the Fall'
The Household Spirit is a gorgeous, lonely book... This is a wonderful book full of tiny, heartbreaking revelations and glimpses of touching humanity... Read and it be warm. -- David Hebblethwaite * We Love This Book *
When I read Tod Wodicka's novel, it was as if somewhere in its core there was a light that glowed out onto me. It was an extraordinary experience. An extraordinary book. -- Douglas Coupland
The Household Spirit is a powerful and quietly compelling novel. Tod Wodicka reveals his characters unflinchingly, in all their strangeness, and never loses sight of their frailties and loves - until we know exactly who they are and love them too. Unique and surprising, The Household Spirit is beautifully told. -- Sadie Jones

Author Bio

Tod Wodicka was born in Glens Falls, New York in 1976. He was educated at Manchester University. He lives in Berlin.