Louisa Hilliard, the last descendant of one of Charleston's oldest families, finds her quiet life turned upside down when she comes upon the diary of one of her ancestors, which recounts the story of Diana, a 19th Century slave who worked for the Hilliards. As Louisa learns of Diana's tragic fate, she begins to sense a presence roaming in her house. Attempting to appease this presence and set right age-old wrongs, she discovers how her own life is entangled in her family's haunted history.

Pam Durban is the author of The Laughing Place, All Set About With Fever Trees, The Tree of Forgetfulness, and other books. She has received numerous awards including a Whiting Writer's Award. She teaches at Georgia State University, where she is one of the founding editors of Five Points Magazine.