Much to her surprise, Fay finds herself in her house, where her husband is now living with a new wife and teenage daughter, and her house has been redecorated. Turns out she had died five years earlier. The teenager can see her, and they can have conversations, and then her husband begins to see her too, and they communicate. This isn't a scary ghost tale at all, and it's really a story of grief, memories, and moving on. But none of that does the book justice. It's quite bright, and funny in parts, and definitely compelling.

Rating: 4.5 stars. I had never heard of this novel before I picked it up while browsing in the divine Armchair Books in Whistler Village. It's a small bookshop, but excellently curated, so trusting their buyer, I took a chance on this unknown. Definitely a win!

If you decide to read it, I suggest starting it when you have a nice block of time, as it would be easy to read this in one sitting (I divided it into two) ( )

It is difficult to fit The Ghost in the House by Sara O’Leary into one particular genre. This is the story of Fay. Her life is where she always hoped it would be: her husband is the love of her life, her house is the home of her dreams, her career is very satisfying. Until, without knowing why, she realizes that everything in her life has changed. A teenager is living in her house, her husband is married to an unknown woman, her house has been re-decorated and so on. What could have gone wrong? Who are these people? What happened to her picture-perfect life? Why did her husband abandon her? This is a beautiful novel well-worth spending time with. Highly recommended. Thank you to Penguin Random House Canada and NetGalley for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

This is not your typical ghost story, where family moves into a new home and starts to encounter strange and unusual events. It is more a portrayal of the stages of grief and loss, a journey in the case of this book for both the dearly departed and those left behind. Told from the point of view of Fay, we are made intimately aware of Fay's mental and emotional shifts as she slowly processes what has happened to her, the changes that have occurred in her home and the impact on Alex, her husband. Beautifully written, there is a muted quality to the story. This is in keeping with the ethereal properties of our narrator and the fact that she cannot make physical contact with the inhabitants of the house, communicating a very real sense of loneliness. Before you think this is a sad story to avoid, I will say that while this is a heart-wrenching story, the author skillfully makes use of conversations and memory shifts to also provide readers with experiences of hope, love, laughs and happiness.

A moving story of love, loss, grief, longing and letting go by a "new-to-me" Canadian author and one who's other works I look forward to reading.

I received an advanced reader copy from the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. ( )