Persephone's Curse - by Katrina Leno (Hardcover)

About the Book

"Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told them: that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she's right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their New York City brownstone--a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see. When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it's up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other"--

Book Synopsis

The Hazel Wood meets Laini Taylor in this gorgeous urban fantasy of sisterhood, ghosts, and old family curses.

Are the four Farthing sisters really descended from Persephone? This is what their aunt has always told them: that the women in their family can trace their lineage right back to the Goddess of the Dead. And maybe she's right, because the Farthing girls do have a ghost in the attic of their New York City brownstone --a kind and gentle ghost named Henry, who only they can see.

When one of the sisters falls in love with the ghost, and another banishes him to the Underworld, the sisters are faced with even bigger questions about who they are. If they really are related to Persephone, and they really are a bit magic, then perhaps it's up to them to save Henry, to save the world, and to save each other.

Review Quotes

★ "The beauty of Leno's narrative is in how the magic becomes the backdrop and the relationships between Farthing sisters become the foreground." --Shelf Awareness, Starred Review

★ "This quiet, character-driven novel is perfect for readers who want family-driven stories...In her world building atop the idyllic upper Central Park landscape, Leno manages to effortlessly mix the supernatural and mundane. The stakes are serious, but the sisters' bond prevails through their anger and external challenges in this highly recommended familial tale." --Booklist, Starred Review

"[A] supernatural romp." --People

"Katrina Leno convincingly brings ancient mythology to a modern New York family in the tender, immersive Persephone's Curse. Readers intrigued by this novel's imaginative premise will be drawn in by Leno's lovely depictions of sisterhood as well as Winnie's lucid first-person narration." --BookPage

"The story is reminiscent of the 1990s TV drama Charmed and movie Practical Magic, which the author fully embraces, as the girls watch the film together in a cozy domestic scene." --School Library Journal

"Fans of Greek mythology and supernatural love stories will find lots to enjoy in this well-woven tale." --Kirkus Review

"Via poetic prose and a richly wrought metropolitan setting, Leno (Horrid) crafts a haunting, lyrical tale that blends contemporary gothic ambiance with Greek myth, making for an introspective family drama that muses on sisterhood and grief." --Publishers Weekly

"New York City is a character unto itself here as the girls move through the seasons, and the Persephone myth is organically incorporated, melding the familiar tale with a fresh take...an engrossing read in which the emotional stakes are clear and potentially devastating." --Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books

About the Author

KATRINA LENO is the author of seven young adult novels, including Horrid and Summer of Salt. Her first middle grade novel, The Umbrella Maker's Son, was published in 2023. She was born on the East Coast and spent four years in New York City --though never once saw a ghost in her attic. She currently lives in Los Angeles. Still no ghost.