Publisher details

Author: Kate Constable
Publisher: Allen & Unwin

Cicada Summer

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Synopsis

Eloise doesn't speak, but can she see into the past? This exciting and atmospheric mystery from the author of the Chanters of Tremaris series explores themes of family, friendship, and grief.Something flickered at the top of the stairs. Eloise heard a voice call, I'm coming!, and a girl in a pale dress and a big sunhat came running, her fingertips slipping down the curve of the slim iron railing. Eloise went cold all over. She couldn't move, or breathe; her mouth was dry. At the bottom of the steps, the girl in the pale dress faltered, then stopped. For a fraction of a second she stood motionless, as if she were listening. Then all at once she turned and stared straight at Eloise. And suddenly the foyer was empty. The ghostly girl was gone.When Eloise's get-rich-quick dad moves them back to his home town to turn the derelict family mansion into a convention center, Eloise feels an immediate bond with the old house. She begins spending all her time there, ignoring her strange grandmother and avoiding the friendly boy next door. Then Eloise meets a 'ghost girl' who may or may not be from the house's past, and events take a strange—and ultimately dangerous—turn. Beautifully written, poignant, and gripping, this is a charming and atmospheric story of personal growth, overcoming grief, and the true nature of friendship and family.

About the author

Kate Constable

Kate Constable was born in Melbourne but spent much of her childhood in Papua New Guinea, without television but within reach of a library where she 'inhaled' stories. She studied Arts/Law at the University of Melbourne before working for a record company while she began her life as a writer. Kate had stories published in Meanjin, Island and other literary magazines before realising she was actually a children's and YA author. Kate has written ten novels for young people, including the internationally-published Chanters of Tremaris series and the CBCA award-winning Crow Country. Kate lives in a northern suburb of Melbourne with her family, a bearded dragon, a rabbit and a dog.