‘Kerfol’ is one of Wharton’s more unusual ghost stories, in that the ghosts of the piece aren’t human. Chilling and tragic, this tale tells of Anne de Cornault, who is considering buying an estate in France. We discover that the estate, ‘Kerfol,’ (which translates from the Breton as ‘house of madness’) was once the scene of a murder. An atmospheric read, ‘Kerfol’ is an exploration of an unhappy marriage and revenge from beyond the grave. A perfect spine-tingler from the pen of a master storyteller.
Edith Wharton (1862 – 1937) was an American designer and novelist. Born in an era when the highest ambition a woman could aspire to was a good marriage, Wharton went on to become one of America’s most celebrated authors. During her career, she wrote over 40 books, using her wealthy upbringing to bring authenticity and detail to stories about the upper classes. She moved to France in 1923, where she continued to write until her death.
