An unforgettable story of magic, mediums, and séances set during the Chicago World’s Fair from the author of the National Book Award finalist The Way Back.

Twelve-year-old orphan Eva Root travels the country pretending to channel spirits at séances. Her audiences swear their loved ones have spoken to them from beyond the grave. This, of course, is impossible.

But one day, Eva experiences another impossibility: she hears a voice in her head telling her to come to the World’s Fair in Chicago. There, she meets a mysterious magician who needs her help to bring magic to life. But as their work progresses, Eva begins to suspect that the project's goals may not be as noble as they seem. And when tragedy strikes, Eva will have to reach beyond death itself to unravel the mystery of the magician's plan—before it’s too late. 

From the author of the National Book Award finalist The Way Back comes a story of what to do when you get burned by the magic you’ve been looking for all your life.

“Gavriel Savit is an alchemist. Fusing history and magic with the shimmering ghost light of the 1893 Chicago World’s Fair, he has conjured a perfect potion of adventure and suspense. I was spellbound from the first page.” —Candace Fleming, award-winning author of The Rise and Fall of Charles Lindbergh and Murder Among Friends