Description

The Walter Award Honor–winning author of Root Magic returns with a terrifying story in the Southern Gothic tradition, inspired by the hoodoo practice of hair burning.

At night, Roddie still dreams of sitting at his mother’s feet while she braids his Afro down. But that’s a memory from before. Before his mom died in a tragic accident. Before he was taken in by an aunt he barely knows. Before his aunt brought him to Dogwood House, the creepiest place Roddie has ever seen. It was his family’s home for over a hundred years. Now the house—abandoned and rotting, draped in Spanish moss that reminds him too much of hair—is his home too.

Aunt Angie has returned to South Carolina to take care of Roddie and reconnect with their family’s hoodoo roots. Roddie, however, can’t help but feel lost. His mom had never told him anything about hoodoo, Dogwood House, or their family. And as they set about fixing the house up, Roddie discovers that there is even more his mother never said. Like why she left home when she was seventeen, never to return. Or why she insisted Aunt Angie always wear her hair in locs. Or what she knew of the strange secrets hidden deep within Dogwood House—secrets that have awoken again, and are reaching out to Roddie…

Creepy Paranormal Setting: A crumbling family home in South Carolina, draped in Spanish moss that looks too much like hair, holds generations of secrets in its rotting walls. Hoodoo Magic and Lore: Roddie discovers a world his mother kept hidden—a heritage of hoodoo practices, including the mysterious ritual of hair burning to keep ancient evils away. A Haunted House Story: Dogwood House isn’t just old; it’s awake. As Roddie explores its decaying halls, he realizes the house itself is reaching out, and it wants something from him. A Heartfelt Story of Grief and Loss: At its core, this is a powerful story about a boy navigating the loss of his mother, finding the courage to face his fears, and learning that family is something you build.