The Ghosts of Laurelford — Margaret Meacham

"The Ghosts of Laurelford" takes place in the Laurel Mountains in western Pennsylvania in 1919. The main character, fifteen-year-old Lacey Gillespie, is visiting Laurelford, The Taymeyer mansion with her grandfather. Lacey is not happy to be at Laurelford. She is deeply involved in woman's suffrage work at home in Pittsburgh, and wants to continue this work which she sees as greatly important. Her grandfather, a private investigator, has been hired by a member of the Taymeyer family to investigate a medium named Mademoiselle Matilde Farret, who will be performing séances at Laurelford, and he insists that Lacey accompany him. As the visit unfolds, Lacey learns that there is more to Mademoiselle Matilde than she had at first believed. A ghostly legend, a family tragedy, and séances with unexpected results add to the suspense, and when the mystery is finally unraveled, Lacey understands that helping individuals can be as important as working for a cause, and that there are many kinds of mysteries in the world, some of which can't be understood or explained by reason and logic.