Beyond Lilla

by Tracy Fontaine

Not everyone goes to heaven or hell when they die. Sometimes ghosts like me are stuck here among the living. I never saw that darned light that should have taken me to join my dead husband, Sam. We shared a lifetime as celebrated gardeners. I vow to find a way to spend eternity with him, too. First, I have to avoid scaring people in Mount Hope Cemetery so Spooky Marcy and the news team will stop hounding me.

My search for Sam takes me from Rochester to The South where I solve a Civil War mystery. Along the way, I protect some living relatives, as well as learn from the spirits inhabiting my new world. I even have a run-in with The Forgotten, still bitter because we didn’t move their bodies from the park where they’d been buried long ago.

My spirit friends and I play tricks to pass the time. But the afterlife could be dangerous. My friends save me from a terrifying spirit before I was maimed as badly as young Jodi. Yet, as I continue searching for Sam, I become so desperate to learn other souls’ secrets, I commit a vicious act.

Genres: Paranormal

324 pages, Paperback

First published July 22, 2013

About the author

A native of Claremont, New Hampshire, Tracy Fontaine graduated from SUNY Cobleskill and also Rochester Institute of Technology, where she studied technical writing and health care sciences. She is a laboratory technician at the University of Rochester Medical Center in Rochester, New York. She lives in Rochester with her husband. This is her first book.

Reviews

[Chris Sanzone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Being a native and current resident of Rochester, NY, I wanted to check out this book that was primarily set here. I was not disappointed! While this was my first ghost-type book I was pleasantly surprised. The book has ups and downs, and a good mix of emotions, and I was happy with the type of ending (Not going to spoil it for you). I admittedly wasn't a fan of a few parts of the book but overall it was a good read. I'd recommend it! Especially if you're from Rochester, NY, it adds another layer of clarity to playing out the scene in your head. I hope Tracy writes another book!

[Amy mae · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this book so much! It was awesome to read because Mt. Hope cemetery is one of my favorite places in rochester ny.

[Elly Stevens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Clever. Unique. A viewpoint you have probably never read before—from the dead. Lilla, the "Lilac Lady" of Rochester is the last person to be buried at Mt. Hope Cemetery. Although her grave is next to her husband's, they are not united in death. While she waits for the right time to be with him, she meets other spectres from the past, some friendly and some dangerous. Lilla learns about her capabilities on the other side as she searches for her love.

[Beth · Rating 4 out of 5]

My good friend wrote this book! It is set in the Rochester area and includes some famous landmarks such as Mt Hope Cemetery. This is a character-driven, fun ghost story - definitely a must-read for fellow Rochestarians!

[Heather Buckley · Rating 4 out of 5]

A sweet story of a woman named Lilla and the many friends she meets and adventures she has, after she dies. Set in Rochester, NY and specifically, Mt Hope Cemetery, this was quite enjoyable, as I live in Rochester and an friends with Tracy. Great first book!

[Eric VN · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thoroughly enjoyed this book. The situations the author developed for Lilla are incredible, I don’t know how she came up with them, wow!
I also enjoyed the level of detail and knowledge of the settings.

[Mel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very fun to read with the setting being Rochester ! An interesting way to think about the afterlife .

[Sarah Thyne · Rating 4 out of 5]

Overall had a good plot and storyline that was enjoyable to read. There were a lot of typos that sometimes caused confusion. There were also parts of the book that were WAY over explained.

[Brenna · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book. Tracy Fontaine is a local author for me. And the setting she uses is real and in my hometown.
What happens after we die? Well, Lila finds out and meets a lot of people along the way.
This YA book is Tracy Fontaine's debut novel and was published through Createaspace. there are a few typos where a word was in sentence twice, but only 2 times. Noticeable but not annoying in my opinion. I found the book fun, and loved the characters throughout the book.

[Sheilah · Rating 3 out of 5]

I am always excited to read local authors work. Beyond Lilla, is special even more so, because it is historical fiction about my home city. Fontaine weaves many real stories within the life of a fictional ghost named, Lilla.

The large majority of the story takes place in a graveyard known as Mount Hope Cemetery and follows Lilla around as she meets new ghosts and reflects on the past. This cemetery exists and is not far from where I live. I loved reading about some of the local folklore that exists that I never even knew about!

Fontaine is a good writer and this being her first body of work I am sure she will continue to grow. What needed work was the plot. There wasn’t a clear direction, and as a reader would have preferred the story being more about her journey to find ascension, instead of her interactions with ghosts she met along the way.

Overall, if you enjoy learning about local places, this has a wealth of information and is told by a likeable ghostly protagonist.

[Lori · Rating 4 out of 5]

Aw, what a sweet book! Fontaine's love of Mt. Hope Cemetery, its gardens, and its history really shines through. Lilla the ghost has a vivid personality and narration style and she does a fantastic job evoking the beauty of Rochester's beloved Victorian cemetery (Susan B. Anthony and Frederick Douglass are buried there!) in all four seasons. Another reviewer noted a lack of a formal plot structure, but I think this is one of its strengths. The story also serves as a meditation on life and death and the possibilities of an afterlife, and it flows organically, allowing the reader explore new realms alongside Lilla. Great debut and I look forward to more from this author.

[Nancy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Home town author, interesting and made you think.