Q&A with Barb Rosenstock

 

 

 

Barb Rosenstock is the author of the new young adult book American Spirits: The Famous Fox Sisters and the Mysterious Fad That Haunted a Nation. Her many other books include Sea Without a Shore. She lives in the Chicago area. 

 

Q: What inspired you to write American Spirits, which focuses on three 19th century sisters?

 

A: While researching another book project in upstate New York, I ran across the name “The Fox Sisters” and visited the site of the tiny rural cottage where they first heard the spirits. I was shocked that I’d never heard of the three teen sisters who invented that we now call “a séance.”

 

Plus, the contrast between where they came from and where they wound up fascinated me. How did three young American women with little education and few means wind up in the heights of society advising politicians, judges, doctors, and other leaders? Why did people believe them? Could they really talk to the dead? And if not, what are the costs of living a lie? 

 

Q: How did you research the Fox sisters, and what did you learn that especially surprised you?

 

A: Two things were essential to the research. The first was a lengthy trip to Rochester and Buffalo, New York, where I met with experts in the 19th century, visited museums, sites where the sisters performed, and spent lots of time in library rare book rooms.

 

The second was newspapers of the period. Leah, Maggie, and Kate Fox were in media across the country and throughout Europe. I read thousands of articles about the sisters, their friends, their seances, and their social lives.

 

As you can imagine, the whole topic of talking to dead people has its surprises. But I was shocked to learn that in an era of multiple inventions, many people viewed talking to the dead as just another logical innovation.

 

After all, if humans could suddenly move messages over a wire, why not talk to people beyond the grave? And there were so many dead people (sadly especially infants and children) in the 19th century!

 

I also learned that broad cultural fame, the kind of fame that internet celebrities have today, has been a part of U.S. culture for longer than I’d realized, and exacts the same costs that plague modern celebrities today.

 

Q: The Kirkus Review of the book says, “Rosenstock effectively and objectively presents historical facts alongside primary sources...as she explores whether the Foxes truly experienced supernatural phenomena or whether it was a hoax all along.” What do you think of that description, and do you think they actually had supernatural abilities?

 

A: Well, thanks Kirkus, that’s what I tried to do! I think young adults and middle graders know how to think for themselves. I presented evidence for and against the Fox Sisters’ supernatural abilities and want readers to decide the truth.

 

I did not come down on one side or the other on purpose, so I’m not going to give my opinion now. I think they had many talents, I have had mysterious experiences in my own life with those who have died, and I also know that most of what the Fox Sisters did can be faked (and explain how in the book).

 

So, was it the truth? Was it a lie? Readers need to decide for themselves. Which, as an aside, all of us do each day we take in internet (and AI generated) “information.”

 

Q: What do you hope readers take away from the book?

 

A: This is a book about informational literacy AND ghosts! It would be my dream to see American Spirits used to encourage discussions about truth, lies, and how they spread. It’s a book about media and its influence, good and bad.

 

It’s also a great follow-up book in classrooms that read The Crucible as it has some of the same themes but goes further in its treatment of female roles and celebrity.

 

I hope readers, older and younger, will realize that the whole idea of “fame” and “being famous” has as many costs as benefits.

 

Q: What are you working on now?

 

A: I’ve returned to a few picture book projects. Houdini’s Library comes out in 2026, followed by a book on sound scientist Katy Payne. Currently I’m working steadily on projects about the Mississippi River, Emily Dickinson as a baker, and the fashion sense of George Washington!

 

Q: Anything else we should know?

 

A: This was my first foray into writing for this age group, and I loved it! I can’t wait to find another intriguing true story for them (and for me!). I love the idea of just enough scare and intrigue to keep the history interesting. Actively looking, taking all suggestions, stay tuned...

 

--Interview with Deborah Kalb. Here's a previous Q&A with Barb Rosenstock.