Dear Guest and Ghost

Synopsis

Dear Guest and Ghost is a charming, whimsical tale about the unexpected friendship between a middle-aged housewife and a most unusual companion. Originally published in 1950, this faithful reproduction preserves Sylvia Dee's heartwarming supernatural tale that has delighted readers for over seven decades. When the Helmakobbler family-practical Fred, book-loving daughter Thelma, teenage son Stevy, and warm-hearted Mrs. Helmakobbler-move into an old Victorian house on Staten Island, they expect the usual challenges of settling into a new home. What Mrs. Helmakobbler doesn't expect is to encounter Leiscester, the ghost of a young man from the early 19th century who regularly appears in the little guest room at the front of the house. As Mrs. Helmakobbler adjusts to life in their new home, she finds in Leiscester a true confidant-someone who listens to her troubles, offers advice about her children, and provides companionship in a way that her busy family cannot. Through their conversations, we discover that ghosts (or "true beings" as they prefer to be called) have a complex society of their own, complete with dinner parties, committees, and the mysterious "All Knowing." The novel follows the Helmakobbler family through a year of changes: Thelma's romance with high school principal Justin Rutherford, Stevy's unexpected artistic talent (guided by the ghost of Vincent van Gogh), visits from relatives, and eventually a move to Minneapolis. Throughout these events, Mrs. Helmakobbler's friendship with Leiscester faces challenges, misunderstandings, and even a period when she believes he might be merely a figment of her imagination caused by "change of life." Warm, funny, and deeply human, Dear Guest and Ghost explores the universal need for friendship and understanding, suggesting that connections can form across even the most impossible divides-including that between the living and the dead.