Giving up the Ghost by Adam Lindsay Honsinger is a novel that follows a family grappling with the repercussions (real and imagined) of the unresolved trauma that has sent each of them spiralling into their own separate orbits. Taking place primarily in the three days leading up to the anniversary of his son’s death, Dr. Vanderlay Stone self-medicates his way through a series of events that ultimately leaves his life in ruins. His estranged wife, Aria, whose grief has left her questioning her faith and her role as a mother, finds that, whether she believes in them or not, there are forces that must be reckoned with. Meanwhile, Dhani’s grandmother organizes a ceremony that she believes will both ensure that her grandson’s soul will transmigrate to a proper state and bring the family back together. As questions of fate and chance converge, these characters find their way, not necessarily back to the ones they love, but to a place where hope and reconciliation are possible.
