Raising the Dead is the journey of a naive young woman who grows to maturity through the love and mentoring of friends, both living and dead...
Title: Raising the Dead
Author: Jayne Lisbeth
Pages: 330
Genre: Coming of Age/Ghost Fiction/Mystery/Supernatural/Women's Friendship
Jayne Lisbeth's second novel, Raising the Dead, is a coming of age book which delves into the importance of friendship between women and men, strangers and spirits.
Raising the Dead, bookmarked in the year 1979, is the exploration of a young bride's struggle towards maturity and overcoming the depths of grief. Ms. Lisbeth's beautiful, poetic prose weaves history, love, friendship, reading, culinary arts, crafts and the beauty of nature into the development of Emeline, the protagonist of this remarkable work.
Synopsis:
Emeline, a new bride, has been transported from her beloved home in the California Delta by her husband with their move to his mother's home city, Charles Town, in Virginia. Marooned in grief after the deaths of her beloved parents. a mysterious elderly woman, Felicity, befriends her. Through Felicity Emeline learns to love reading, cooking. She also becomes confident enough to reach out to others and form new friendships. Felicity teaches Emeline the craft of chair caning, which becomes a lucrative enterprise which further assists Emeline in her search for independence and maturity. When Emeline is most dependent on Felicity her friend mysteriously disappears. With the assistance of her new-found friends Emeline searches and discovers for her lost friend. Through the love of friendship, her husband and her friends assist Emeline in her search for Felicity, Emeline’s mentor and "other mother," Emeline discovers a frightening spiritual reality which uplifts her in unimaginable ways. Through friendship she learns the value of love and the enduring spirit of those who have touched her life, even if they are no longer among the living.
Raising the Dead is a mystery to be unearthed by the reader in these poetic pages. Loveable and quirky characters, both living and dead, entrance and entertain. Reviewers of Raising the Dead “can’t put this book down” until they discover how and where Emeline finds her dear friend. Emeline’s friendships, the development of her relationship with her husband and her search for Felicity help this young bride to move into her future. Emeline is a beloved heroine worthy of the most sophisticated and avid readers.
Raising the Dead is available at Amazon.
Book Excerpt
“It’s going to be alright, Em. I promise. This is a new life for us. This was a good move. We’ll be happy here, you’ll see.” He stepped over the cats and left the little bathroom to retrieve more boxes from the truck.
At the moment, the large obstacle in his mind was not just Em’s continuing sorrow and lack of enthusiasm, but her meeting with Margret. He knew his mother could be difficult and her overwhelming love of Randy could be territorial. Randy hoped his mom would see past Em’s timidity which could make her seem standoffish and cold. He hoped his mom wouldn’t take Em’s timidity the wrong way. On the other hand, he hoped Em wouldn’t blow up over some off-hand innocent remark his mom might make. He had a vague feeling of unease, knowing the two most important women in his life could change in a heartbeat from sweet to sour. He wanted everyone to see Em the way he did: his pretty little bride of two years, with blond curls, violet eyes, curvy body and sweet demeanor. He wished Em could see the good in herself, the essence of who she was, rather than the ignorant delta girl she believed herself to be.
This is a good move, definitely, he reminded himself with each box he unloaded. What could go wrong? They had everything they needed. They had each other. The future looked as bright as any dream he had hoped for in his life with Emeline.
– Excerpted from Raising the Dead by Jayne Lisbeth, Austin Macauley, London, UK, 2023. Reprinted with permission.
Jayne Lisbeth was born in NYC and continued her life’s journey from Long Island, to New Jersey, Massachusetts, Vermont, California and Tampa, all places featured prominently in her writing. Her first book, a memoir, Writing In Wet Cement has been published internationally by London based publisher, Austin Macauley. Jayne’s second book, Raising the Dead, a work of historical fiction, mystery, friendship and the supernatural, was published in 2023, also by Austin Macauley. Ms. Lisbeth publishes monthly “Food for Thought” blogs on her website, Jaynelisbeth.com. Her “Food for Thought” blogs are based on her reflections of life, friendship, love, and topical subjects of interest. Ms. Lisbeth’s non-fiction, poetry, and short stories have been published from Vermont to California to Tampa, Florida where she has received awards at the local level. She has been published locally in Pages of Our Life, volumes I and II which is currently part of the USF, Tampa, Geriartic Studies Programs. Ms. Lisbeth’s short stories have been published in the LEC Phoenix Anthologies, 2015-2023. Jayne’s interests include writing, reading, exploring, traveling, calligraphy, gravestone rubbing, entertaining and cooking. Jayne’s author’s website is Jaynelisbeth.com. Ms. Lisbeth and her artist husband, Tim Gibbons, are the owners and founders of Funky As A Monkey Art Studio, providing art in public places and launching new and emerging artists in exhibiting their art.
Author Links
Website | Amazon Website | Publisher’s Website | Facebook | Instagram
My Review:
This is a story about so many different things. Mostly, this book is about family. The family we have, the family we make for ourselves, and especially the one we had, but didn't know it. Em is a young wife who has lost her parents. She was not ready to lose them, and then she had to move as well. She moved to be closer to her mother-in-law. Her mother-in-law, who has had her share of marital issues, is cold and never talks about her ex-husband. Em comes to realize that people respond to their surroundings and how people treat them. Then there is the history in this story, I am not sure how much is based on facts. However, I really enjoyed the cemetery searches, grave rubbings, and buildings from the past. It was interesting to read about the original home owner who built cottages for her workers and how she had the courage to treat her workers as employees and not slaves. The cottages had libraries, window seat and charm. I would love to see these buildings come to life in a movie. Then there is Felicity. The nice older lady who comes and goes into Em's life. Em soon starts a circle of friends that becomes her second family. The ending was great and I enjoyed how each character ended up. I would love to read a sequel and see how these characters are doing. I am giving this book a 5/5. I was given a copy, all opinions are my own.
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