Jane-Emily, and Witches' Children

by Patricia Clapp

Emily was a selfish, willful, hateful child who died before her thirteenth birthday. But that was a long time ago.

Jane is nine years old and an orphan when she and her young Aunt Louisa come to spend the summer at Jane's grandmother's house, a large, mysterious mansion in Massachusetts. Then one day . . . Jane stares into a reflecting ball in the garden—and the face that looks back at her is not her own.

Many years earlier, a child of rage and malevolence lived in this place. And she never left. Now Emily has dark plans for little Jane—a blood-chilling purpose that Louisa, just a girl herself, must battle with all her heart, soul, and spirit . . . or she will lose her innocent, helpless niece forever.

One of the most adored ghost stories of all time is available again after thirty years—to thrill and chill a new generation!

Genres: Horror, Historical Fiction, Fiction, Young Adult, Gothic, Ghosts, Classics

293 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1969

About the author

Patricia Clapp was born in Boston and attended the Columbia University School of Journalism. Her first novel, Constance: A Story of Early Plymouth, was a runner-up for the 1969 National Book Award for Children's Literature. Her other books include, I'm Deborah Sampson, King of the Dollhouse, Dr. Elizabeth, and Jane-Emily. She also authored many plays for children.

Reviews

[Jennie Damron · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had never heard of this book before and I was scrolling on my Libby App for a good ghost story. I found this little gem and was hooked. It wasn't leave the lights on kind of scary, but it had that Gothic feel I so adore. Jane is being haunted by her aunt Emily who died very young. Louisa is Jane's Aunt and guardian but she is pretty young herself. I loved immersing myself in the story as Louisa was trying to piece things together when rationality just was clearly ruling out. I love when I find books on a whim and end up enjoying my time with them. Great read.

[Ariel · Rating 4 out of 5]

The first story in this book, Jane-Emily, is a quaint little ghostly yarn about a young girl Jane who is haunted by her aunt Emily who died in childhood. Jane is a sweet, sensitive child while her aunt Emily was in life hell on wheels. Louisa, Jane's young aunt tries to make sense of Jane's ramblings about the wishes of the dead Emily. At first she thinks it's nonsense but quickly comes to the realization that something more sinister is afoot.

The second story is a retelling of the events surrounding the Salem witch trials. I am familiar with the story so there wasn't much new to uncover here. At first the story was extremely dry but as it went on I found myself enjoying it more. The story is told from the viewpoint of the servant girl Mary who lived in John Proctor's house. At first she joins in with the other girls in the village pretending to be bewitched and falling into hysterics. It is a amusing distraction in an otherwise uneventful life. But as serious consequences begin to occur from their actions and real people begin to be hurt by their lies, Mary begins to rethink her actions. As a side note the real Gallows hill where the Salem population hung their neighbors for witchcraft has been recently confirmed to be Proctor's Ledge and it's located next to a Walgreens. This is a very interesting article on the subject: http://www.salemnews.com/news/local_n... As for the story itself, it's informative if you don't know very much about the subject but all Crucible fans can take a pass.

[Rebecca · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was obsessed with this book when I was a young girl. I actually remember it being the first book I immediately re-read as soon as I had finished it since I had to return it to the library. I found out it had been reprinted just a few years ago and was very excited to see it again (it was originally written in the 60s). Unfortunately, the mystical allure it once held for me (and still did in my memory) didn't hold up the way I wanted it to. That said, it's still a pretty good ghost story and I would probably give it 3 1/2 stars. I mean, anything about a dead terror of a child spooking her current house and family to me is pretty creepy. There weren't exactly any twists or surprises, but the feel of the book is still interesting and a nice indication of the times.

[Joanie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Okay so this book is actually two books in one. The first, Jame-Emily is, I guess, the better known (and more enjoyable.) The second is "Witches Children" and it's okay, but not great. I wish I could give the first half a 4 and the second a 3 but I'll stick with the 4 since I'm sure I would have really liked this as a kid.

Jane-Emily is definitely something that would have scared me as a kid. In the early 1900s Jane and her 18 year old aunt (whose name I have already forgotten! Okay, I just looked on Amazon-it's Louisa) go to stay with Jane's grandmother. Jane's parents (the aunt's sister) died in a horse and buggy accident so she has been living with her aunt and grandparents. While visiting her paternal grandmother for the summer the girls discover that Jane's grandmother had a very spoiled daughter named Emily who died when she was 12. The ghost of Emily starts to cause problems and it's all very spooky (or at least I would have thought so had I read it when I was younger.) The book is a quick, fun read and it almost made me want to go back and read some of the books that scared me as a kid.

Witches Children is a take on The Crucible, in fact, the author cites it in her bibliography. It's the story of the Salem Witch trials told from the point of view of one of the girls involved in accusing the so called witches. In it Mary, the narrator, tells about how badly she feels about some of the accusations and that it all started as a game because they were bored. Even though I certainly knew that the girls would fall into fits for attention etc, it was still so maddening to read, I just kept hoping someone would give the girls a good smack and tell them to knock it off but of course that's not what happened. The book isn't bad, it just suffers from comparison to things like The Crucible. Maybe for someone in 5th or 6th grade for whom this would be totally new it wouldn't be so bad, maybe I'll pass it on to one of my nieces and see what they think.

[Wendy Darling · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

This feels surprisingly dated with the plethora of exclamation points present in the narrative, but I still enjoyed it. I'd hoped it be a bit creepier, but there's no denying the appeal of the setting and set-up, even though as a whole the plot and characters felt a bit underdeveloped.

Also side-eying the fact that after Louisa is annoyed by sexist comments by the love interest when she first meets him, they're never referred to again after they fall in love, and he doesn't appear to have any change of heart. Boo.

[Linda Lipko · Rating 3 out of 5]

A book told in two different stories, each about children who are over the top mean. The first Emily Jane is a haunting tale of a young child whose parents have died. With her Aunt, she travels to Massachusetts to spend a summer with her grandmother. The house is old, well kept and lovely. The gardens too are spectacular. Soon, when Emily looks into the glass ball sitting carefully on a pedestal, she sees the face of Jane, the nasty daughter of her grandmother. Jane died long ago, but appears to reside inside the lovely glass ball. Increasingly Jane takes over Emily.

The second tale The Witches' Children is the story of the witch hunts in Salem Mass. in the 1600's, and the nasty girls who were responsible for the deaths of so many innocent people. There is nothing new to learn, but the story is well told.

Reprinted, this older book is written in a wonderful way that calls the reader to continue the journey.

[Melody Warnick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Yes, I get creeped out by books intended to scare children.

[Claudia · Rating 1 out of 5]

I feel sort of terrible rating this book with one star because there is an earnest quality to the telling of the tale and it clearly has a fond place in the childhood memories of many readers but I found it tedious. The ghost story felt underdeveloped and the romance, inflated.

I picked this up because my love of ghost stories is rooted in childhood reading and thought this would be a great opportunity to revisit that sense of enchantment. Unfortunately, far too much weight is given to the budding romance of the narrator and the ghost story sort of gurgles on the periphery. It didn't feel like the ghost story ever matured and the "climax" of the story (ominously referenced in the first chapter) felt sadly unfulfilling. Even though it’s a short read, I found myself forcing my way through the story, sure that at any moment creepiness would be unleashed but felt deflated once I completed the book. I did enjoy the attention to the details of turn of the century living... amber tea splashing in tea cups in the garden, high boned collars and silk sashes, the dust and sputter of electric cars on the road alongside horse drawn buggies, garlands of electric lights illuminating a 4th of July celebration in a rural town center… but I'm kind of a sucker for that time period. Also setting, no matter how masterfully laid, can't eclipse a weak plot.

[Bess · Rating 2 out of 5]

Eh. I guess I should be happy that I'm still blissfully naive enough to buy that if a supposed "classic" is dragged out of the catacombs to be reissued all ceremonially, it must mean it's really good.

That isn't the case here: the first story was cute, if predictable, but the second was tedious as hell. Maybe when they say "classic novel of the supernatural," what they mean is "first time anyone ever sat down and tried to write a ghost story, preserved for ever and ever in history just because it was first, regardless of value and/or merit."

[Kelly]

Oh this was a fun spooky novel about spirits that don't want to go to rest. Super Lois Duncan-y, as it's part of that era of horror, but it's still creepy enough to deliver today.

More to come. The description does this zero justice.

[Wendopolis · Rating 2 out of 5]

The first story was vaguely entertaining but predictable. Suitable for the target audience. The second story, the witches Children, was the familiar story of Tituba and her role in the Salem witch trials. I didn’t finish it as I didn’t feel it offered anything new.

If I’d read his a s a child, perhaps I’d have enjoyed it more.

[Kate · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book was recommended from a librarian listserv discussion of horror novels for teens and along with The House On Hackman's Hill was brought up as a story from childhood that was creepy.

In the first story, "Jane-Emily," 18-year-old Louisa and her 12-year-old cousin Jane go to stay with Jane's grandmother for the summer in 1912. When Jane peers into the reflecting ball in the backyard, she claims to have seen the face of Emily, who died at the house many years ago at age 13. Louisa comes to believe the spirit of Emily (Jane's aunt, really) is haunting them.

This ghost story probably would have been creepy when I was much younger. The writing is a bit old-fashioned but fit with the time period of the story. As an adult I was a bit hard-pressed to believe that Louisa, who left home with a boyfriend, would take so suddenly to "Dr. Adam" over the course of a summer that the two would plan to be married. The "scary" parts were more believable than that for me! Louisa and Jane "imagining" these signs from Emily could have been more played up. I had expected that this story would be much longer than it was, and was surprised that apparently both stories in this book were equal length, so the ending didn't seem as climactic as I thought it should have been.

The second story, "Witches' Children," took the point of view of Mary Warren, the "bound girl" of John and Elizabeth Proctor, and her role in the Salem Witch Trials. For the life of me I could not stop thinking about The Crucible and wondering which girl it was who was all over John Proctor. In this story, Mary is taken with John (but nothing much comes of it) and I think in The Crucible it was Abigail Williams, who in this story was her actual age in history of 12 or so years old. The descriptions of how Mary joined the others largely because she needed a release from the stiff way of life was interesting. Aside from the (probably historical) use of the word "bitch," this would interest many a middle grade reader interested in the Salem Witch Trials.

[Educating Drew · Rating 3 out of 5]

I admit, I am a big fan of the Gothic genre even though I don't read that much of it. I find that I intend to, but the intentions fall wayside. So, even though this novella was written in the late 1960's, it TAKES PLACE in the early 1900's. And there's a mysterious death. And a stoic grandmother. And a big house with an even bigger yard. Ooooh, AAAANNND a mysterious glowing ball in the middle of large yard.

Knowing it was a shortie, I jumped right into it and must say, I'm somewhere on the borderline.

Louisa is accompanying her niece Jane to her grandmother's home for a summer visit after Jane's parents died in a tragic car accident. Jane is young - like eight, nine, or ten? I can't remember off hand. She immediately takes to her grandmother, Mrs. Canfield, who hasn't been around a child in forever. Mrs. Canfield's own daughter, Emily, died a tragic death when she was twelve-ish.

But don't feel sorry for Emily because we soon find out she was a wretched kid. I mean, this girl had some serious issues. And you'd think that maybe that wretched girl would move on in death, right? But not at all. She's just as manipulative and selfish.

I really enjoyed the writing, but I wished that there was more to the story. It seemed too simple and yet not long enough. Does that even make sense?

Finally, this is classified as a YA. I find that pretty interesting. I've been trying to find out some information about it when the novel was first published. For instance, was it as big of a hit as Twilight was to our youth?

Important question folks: What are your favorite gothic books?

[Meagan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane-Emily is an eerie ghost story in the Victorian fashion. A young woman brings her recently orphaned niece to her grandmother's house for the summer. The summer would have been a great one, with a handsome young doctor paying court to Aunt Louisa and little Jane bringing joy back into her grandmother's house. It would have been ideal if it weren't for Emily. Emily was Jane's father's sister, a selfish and spiteful girl who died when she was young. She may be dead, but she has plans for Jane.

This ghost story is full of good old-fashioned creepiness: a little girl who knows more about Emily than she possibly could, unexplained damage to cherished possessions, spectral lights and an overpowering feeling that something is wrong. This is the perfect type of scary story for those who don't enjoy the shocking nature of modern horror stories. It's gentle enough for nearly anyone, but it's consistently eerie atmosphere still satisfies. If I have any complaint, it's Louisa's attachment to a man who believes that women don't deserve the vote because they're too emotional. Oh, well. I guess it went with the times.

This volume also came with the story Witches' Children, which is an intriguing exploration into the Salem witch trials. It's told from the point-of-view of one of the accusing girls, and does an admirable job of spreading the blame around. Many of the girls are portrayed in a sympathetic light, and in the end the responsibility for this odd and tragic moment in history is placed with the town in general, rather than any few individuals.

[Teresa Judd · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 stars for Jane-Emily and 3 stars for Witches' Children.

I wanted to re-read Jane-Emily, (originally published 1969), a favorite of mine when I was 12 years old, to get into the spirit for Halloween. After all these years, I still found it to be atmospheric, surprising, and a really good ghost story. I don't think I noticed this years ago, but the female characters are all named after famous writers (Jane, Emily, and Louisa).

Louisa (19 years old) takes her 9 year old niece Jane to spend the summer at Jane's grandmother's home in Lynn, Massachusetts. It's 1912, and all the charming small town aspects of life during that time are lovingly described. But the house is filled with the spirit of Emily, a manipulative child who died some years ago. Jane becomes attracted to Emily's story, but events soon occur that lead Jane and Louisa to suspect that Emily is still manipulating her family, even from the grave.

There's also a side plot about Louisa's romance with a young doctor that is really kind of hot for a YA novel.

Witches' Children, originally published in 1982, is Clapp's version of the Salem Witch Trials told from Mary Warren's point of view. It does illustrate how the girls' hysteria began and grew and the reasons behind it, but the story is a thin one. The book is just a retelling of history and not much historical fiction in order to make the reader care about Mary or any other character. I felt an arm's distance away from the story, instead of being immersed in it.

[Brandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

I <3 classic horror stories, and I'm always on the lookout for something more.* Jane-Emily is an atmospherically creepy story with a similar tone to Shirley Jackson's novels, and I enjoyed it. It's not as strong as Jackson's work (though what is?) and gets a little bogged down with the romance part, but there's still a pretty good feel to this book. Once you pull out the romance it reminded me a little of The Watcher in the Woods, which was one of my favorite movies as a kid. (Reading the book as an adult, I was surprised to see how little resemblance there was between it and the movie. Still good and creepy, but a totally different story.)

The Witch's Children half of this book was a little dull, though. It's not much more than a fictionalized account of one of the "possessed" girls who sparked the Salem witch trials. I know that sounds like it could be really interesting... but sadly, it wasn't.

4 stars for Jane-Emily; 3 for Witch's Children.

*I'm open to all recommendations--a Google search for "classic horror novels" brought up a lot of results for Stephen King. Um, not exactly the kind of classic I'm looking for, guys. With all the librarians on my GoodReads friend list, surely somebody can help me out? (Hmph, most of you are children's and teen folks. We don't do a lot of grown-up reading, do we?)

[Dayna Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am so glad to see this book back in print after thirty years. I read this book when I was in 7th grade, more than thirty years ago. It is a classic ghost story. Fun and really creepy. Emily is a spoiled wicked little girl who died on her thirteenth birthday. Jane is a nine-year-old orphan who comes with her young Aunt Louisa to live with her grandmother (Emily's mother). Louisa begins to realize that Emily never left, and she wants Jane. A must read if you like ghost stories. A really good and satisying ending. I loved this book and still do. As a matter of fact, I still own my copy that I bought all those years ago. This book is a keeper.

There have been hundreds of books written over the years about the Salem Witch Trials, but this is the first I have ever read written from the point of view of one of the children involved. This is the tale of Mary Warren, the bound servant of John and Elizabeth Proctor. Mary explains how she became involved with the other girls in the tale and how what started as an adolescent prank spiraled out of control. It is a griping tale of mass hysteria, power hungry adults, and attention starved teenagers. As the story progresses Mary honestly confronts the girls, herself, what she has been a party to, and the heartbreaking sorrow it has caused. It is a realistic and painful story, but one I think needed to be told.

[Joy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I've had this on my shelf to read for a while and I thought they would be perfect for October reading. After finishing both books I'm almost certain I read Witches' Children when I was young and a little less sure that I may have read Jane-Emily too.

Jane-Emily is a suspenseful story of a young girl being possessed and haunted by her aunt Emily, who died under tragic circumstances when she was twelve. I liked the characters and that the story relied more on building tension than actual scares. 3.5 stars.

Witches' Children is a novel of Salem during the witch hunt told from the point of view of Mary Warren, one of the "afflicted" girls. The novel relies on a lot of speculation- mainly the assumption that the girls made everything up because they were bored- but still covers the events pretty thoroughly. I think I read this as a 9 or 10 year old and it may be the fiction book that got me started on reading much more non-fiction about the Salem Witch Trials. 3 stars.

[Greg · Rating 3 out of 5]

Jane-Emily was a funny story to read..in that the story was boring as hell. I did like Ms. Clapps old school ideals of how child should be raised and treated. Louisa, the heroine of the story is most frightened by the idea of an unruly child, a child that does not know its proper place. I found this so interesting in comparison to our current ideas of raising children..put the kids on Ritalin so Mommy and Daddy can lay down and enjoy their OxyCodone.


the other story in this book is Witches' Children.. This story I just adored, it basically boils down to a story of peer pressure. Young girls in early America so damn bored rolling around on the ground and shrieking is preferable to sitting around and sewing!

[Gretchen · Rating 3 out of 5]

Patricia Clapp wrote a book that was and is one of my favorites called "Constance," that was written in diary form as from the perspective of a girl who moves to Plymouth on the Mayflower when she is a young girl and follows her all the way up to her marriage to a fellow settler. I heard about the republishing of her little mystery novella, so I thought that I would give it a read. The paperback was only a little over $5 on Amazon Prime, with free shipping. It was...okay. Perhaps if I'd read it as a younger child or if I wasn't into more adult classic mystery/thriller books, it would have been more "spine chilling" but the writing was solid and the idea was clever. Good summer read or something to read next to a fireplace in the fall.

[Jennifer · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is two novellas in one. Both quick and easy reads. I enjoyed Jane-Emily, but of the two I liked Witches' Children best.

If you like supernatural/ghost/haunting stories Jane-Emily is pretty much the start of the genre. Witche's Children, on the other hand, is not supernatural fiction. Clapp did her research, and her version of the story is quite plausable. She attempts to tell the story of the girls who spurred all the trouble during the Salen Witch Hunts. It is a fictional account of real people, using their real names, and from what I know of the facts she did not stray far fom them.

[Gail DiVico · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great ghost story; written for older children, it can be a bit intense but an excellent read - one that keeps you on the edge of your seat! The story centers around a young orphan girl who comes to live with her grandmother in an old mansion in Massachusetts. It takes place in the early part of the last century. Another young girl, a relative, passed away in this house a century ago and starts to take over the newcomer's thoughts. I have not looked at a garden reflection ball the same way since. If you enjoy a good ghost story, this one is for you!!!!! You'll have to read it too find to find out what I meant about the reflection ball.

[Bex · Rating 4 out of 5]

I only read the "Jane-Emily" portion of this two book gathering and I'll get to "Witches Children" soon, but I wanted to read "Jane-Emily" for Halloween. Very good story, classic gothic supernatural ghost-ish story, right up my alley. :) I recommend for any fans of the supernatural and to anyone who is looking for a spooky read for Halloween. :)

Nov 20, 2011

Once again, only read Jane-Emily. I loved it the second time around. Really quick spooky read. And eventually I *will* read Witches Children, especially since it's about the Salem Witch Trials. :)

[Wendy · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm glad I only spent a couple of dollars on this clearance book. It is actually a couple of small novels in one. Withes' Children was from the point of view of one of the young girls who started the Salem witch frenzy and I couldn't really feel sorry for her when she started realizing what she was helping to occur. Jane-Emily was more of a ghost story but it was kind of silly. I wasn't creeped out but I guess it would be a good story for a younger person who might still be naive enough to be scared.

[Janelle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am very glad this is finally back in print. I did not find it very frightening, but much like Shirley Jackson’s We Have Always Lived in the Castle, it was atmospherically creepy.
There were certain parts of the book that didn’t sit well with me ideologically, but that doesn’t have any bearing on the fact that I thoroughly enjoyed reading this book and would recommend it to just about anyone.

[Starla B · Rating 2 out of 5]

Jane-Emily was ok...not bad, but not good. Predictible, and not scary. Although, I did read this as the first time as an adult, and I'm used to Stephen King, Dean Koontz, John Saul. I can see how younger people who aren't used to ghost stories and horror might find it a little creepy.

I finished this book a month or two ago, and I honestly can't even remember what the other story was about.

[Laura · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is two bite-size novels in one book. The first, Jane-Emily is about a little girl who is haunted by the ghost of her dead aunt, also a child, the summer she goes to visit her grandmother. (4/5)
The second, Witches' Children, is a novelization of the Salem Witch Trials, told from the pov of John Procter's bound girl.(3/5)

[Donna · Rating 4 out of 5]

Such good story-telling! I very much enjoyed this book. "Jane-Emily" was genuinely spooky and interesting. "Witches' Children" tells the story of the Salem Witch Trials from the perspective of one of the "possessed" girls. I wish I'd known about this author when I was younger. But at least I know about her now!

[CJ Kamm · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think this was one of the first books I read when I was in elementary school that got me interested in reading. I could never remember the title of the book but always remembered the story of the selfish girl who had died long ago and whose evil spirit was trapped in her gazing ball in the Victorian garden. I was happy to find the reprint last year. Still a great read!

[Stacy · Rating 4 out of 5]

When I first read this book, I was in junior high school and it scared the heck out of me. Although it wasn't so chilling the second time around, 25+ years later, I was impressed by Clapp's use of language and sentence structure. Her prose is of great quality.