The Good House
Categories: African American , Horror & Supernatural
My grandmother's house was big, old, and beautiful, with enormous trees and a cool-in-the-summertime basement. It sat high on a hill with an impossible set of steps leading up to it from the road.
In The Good House (2003) by Tananarive Due, the grandmother's house is a lot like that, including the steps, except it is located in a place that is alternately blessed and evil. The characters in the book, led by strong-willed and sensible Angela, are gradually and helplessly drawn down into the whirlpool of evil that was mistakenly set loose through vodou by her grandmother Marie.
There is a bit of the classic Haunted House tale in the book, but the story is more creepily centered in the woods where there is magic and magic gone wrong. Due has a gift for plot twists and turns. The characters ring true, and the underlying sense of place sets the tone for a very creepy story.
A few weeks ago Susanne mentioned Tananarive Due in her blog about the Essence Awards. Due has been nominated for Storyteller of the Year, and for Best Fiction for Casanegra along with coauthors Blair Underwood and Steven Barnes. Awards will be announced on February 11.
1 Comment
I read this book several years ago and really liked it. It is creepy to the nth degree and really shows Due’s talent as a writer. My only (minor) quibble was the ending, which seemed a bit off to me. But I’d still call it one of the best horror novels of recent years.