This Cursed House

Name: This Cursed House
Price: 19.00 USD
Availability: InStock
ISBN: 9780593639542

✍️ del Sandeen

Reader Score

4.5

(1 review)

$19.00

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📚 WHAT THE BOOK IS ABOUT

A young woman confronts a cursed family in 1960s New Orleans.

Sandeen, known for this debut work, structures the tale around Jemma’s internal struggle against her own abilities. The text examines how the Duchons’ eccentric behavior masks their desperate need for salvation. Jemma’s journey involves unraveling secrets that stretch back over a century. The story does not offer easy answers but rather forces a confrontation with inherited trauma and supernatural obligation. The setting of New Orleans provides a backdrop for exploring these tensions. The narrative focuses on the psychological weight of being the chosen savior against one's will.

Key Themes

Southern gothic horror family curses racial identity

Literary Context

The book is set in the fall of 1962, moving from Chicago to New Orleans. It engages with Southern gothic traditions and examines racial dynamics within a specific historical period. The narrative reflects on the social structures of the time through the lens of supernatural fiction.

Difficulty

●●● Challenging

Recommended For Fans Of

Anne Rice · Shirley Jackson · Toni Morrison · H.P. Lovecraft

🏚️

Gothic

🏛 Penguin Publishing Group 📅 2025 🌐 English 📔 Paperback ISBN: 9780593639542

📝 Description: This Cursed House

Del Sandeen crafts a Southern gothic horror narrative set in the fall of 1962. The story follows Jemma Barker, a twenty-seven-year-old Black woman who leaves Chicago to escape both her past and the spirits she can see. She accepts a position with the Duchon family in New Orleans, hoping for a fresh start. The household presents a complex social dynamic. Light-skinned members of the clan look down on Jemma while maintaining a tenuous hold on reality. Key figures include the haughty grandmother Honorine and the beautiful yet inscrutable cousin Fosette. The plot shifts when Jemma learns the Duchons are bound by a curse spanning over a century. They believe only she can break it, forcing her to confront the gift she has long avoided. As she investigates their history, disturbing secrets emerge that bind her fate to theirs. The novel draws on supernatural fiction traditions and explores themes of racial identity within closed social structures. It suits readers interested in atmospheric horror and family sagas with dark magical elements. Those seeking fast-paced action or clear resolutions may find the slow-burn tension less appealing. The narrative relies on character interaction and historical context rather than external plot devices.

💎 Our verdict on This Cursed House

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🩸

Horror Reads editorial team

Horror desk

Del Sandeen crafts a tense Southern Gothic tale where supernatural obligation meets racial identity. The narrative excels in portraying the psychological weight of being an unwilling savior, using the Duchon family’s decline to mirror broader societal fractures. Jemma’s internal struggle against her visible gifts drives the plot, creating a slow-burn tension that rewards patience. The book is best suited for readers who prefer character-driven horror over fast-paced action. It effectively uses the 1962 New Orleans setting to examine how closed social structures mask desperate needs. While lacking easy answers, it provides a profound confrontation with historical and personal trauma through its atmospheric prose.

✓ EDITOR'S REVIEW

📖 Why choose it

📖

Why this book is worth reading

Readers who appreciate atmospheric horror and psychological depth will find this narrative compelling. It offers a slow-burn exploration of racial identity within closed social structures, focusing on character interaction rather than action. Those interested in how supernatural elements serve as metaphors for inherited trauma and societal pressure will gain insight here. The book suits fans of dark family sagas who enjoy unraveling mysteries through historical context. It is ideal for those willing to engage with complex social dynamics and tenuous realities held by eccentric characters seeking salvation.

⭐ Reader reviews

The starting rating comes from the team Horror Reads —

Reader rating

4.5

Based on 1 reviews

Horror Reads editorial team

Del Sandeen crafts a tense Southern Gothic tale where supernatural obligation meets racial identity. The narrative excels in portraying the psychological weight of being an unwilling savior, using the Duchon family’s decline to mirror broader societal fractures. Jemma’s internal struggle against her visible gifts drives the plot, creating a slow-burn tension that rewards patience. The book is best suited for readers who prefer character-driven horror over fast-paced action. It effectively uses the 1962 New Orleans setting to examine how closed social structures mask desperate needs. While lacking easy answers, it provides a profound confrontation with historical and personal trauma through its atmospheric prose.