Harold's House

by Norma Pyper Mitchell

I can never remember the details after I wake up, but I've had the same nightmare too many times throughout the years, more than I can count. Recently I asked my brothers and sisters if they ever dream about the old house. Some tell me they do--of a room that wasn't there. That settles it. I'm turning this story over to my twelve-year-old incorrigible self. Only a scrawny kid skidding awkwardly toward puberty can explain how it feels to be haunted by the sins of his father, hunted by the town bullies, and taunted by a cantankerous ghost.

217 pages, Paperback

First published September 18, 2014

About the author

Norma Pyper Mitchell currently lives in the Rocky Mountains where she shares her home with a melodious piano, a quirky computer, and the neighbor's cat.

Reviews

[Rumeur · Rating 5 out of 5]

Absolutely LOVED this!! I swear I could've read at least 5 more years worth & was saddened the book ended

It's 1972 & the Marshall family moves to a huge home in Jonesville. It's told through the POV of Jake Marshall who is 12 years old. He has 3 other brothers,& 3 sisters

It's a work of fiction but based on a real family, a real town & maybe the ghost of "cousin Harold"

The main book is all about this curious, highly imaginative & sometimes brave, sometimes cowardly 12 year old boy who is bullied by the older boys.

The stories are about a year long stay in this house after his parents divorce. It's the biggest house they ever lived in, & also maybe the only haunted house too

I can't do the stories justice like the author, but I could've kept reading & reading. She's either a highly entertaining storyteller, or maybe, just maybe, she was part of this story?

The ending was very unexpected in some ways with confession of the father but it explained the reason for the divorce of his parents

The subsequent ending has all the children, except the youngest, going back 30 years later to revisit cousin Harold's house & remembering the fun they had, & the scares they had. Or was it all just overactive, imaginative minds at work in their past & present yet?

I'll say it again.... I LOVED this book!! :) & I highly recommend it!

I won this book in a Goodreads giveaway & sure glad I did!! Thanks to the author & publisher

[Linda Orvis · Rating 5 out of 5]

What a fun book! There's lots of humor, as well as mystery, and coming of age situations. I loved the main character, Jake, the voice of a grown man telling of a specific time in his growing-up. His mother and father had recently divorced, and so the family moved into a deceased relatives house. Everyone struggled in the small town, including their spunky mother. But what no one expected was that a haunting would be part of their struggles. What a fantastic Halloween book to read just for yourself and maybe your kids. You'll find yourself rooting for this family, especially Jake. Very well written, and as I said, a fun read.

[Jackie · Rating 5 out of 5]

My friend wrote this book--love her and love it.

[Mari · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was interesting how this single mom carried on with all her children, the ghost in the house and the big kids bullying in the neighborhood, as well as their parents! The father was abusive and that was hard for all the kids to acknowledge. I liked that the author told what happened with the family when they grew up.

[Debbie · Rating 3 out of 5]

The Marshall family move into a huge old home in Jonesville that apparently has it's own ghost of a young boy. There are many secret passage ways and hiding places that the children love playing in. The family goes through a lot while living in the old home including being new to a small town, the divorce of the parents and being teased about living in a haunted house.