The Alchemy of Moonlight

March 6, 2023
Debut author Ferraro reimagines The Mysteries of Udolpho in this ominous supernatural romance. Following his father’s death in the summer of 1873, 17-year-old Emile St. Aubert’s aunt offers him a choice: marry a woman and continue the St. Aubert line, or be stripped of his inheritance and thrown into an asylum for his attraction to men. Emile instead runs away from home and finds work as a servant for the affluent Montoni household at Chateau le Blanc. As he settles into his new working-class responsibilities, Emile is both thrilled and terrified when he catches the attention of handsome visiting doctor Bram Valancourt. Emile’s growing feelings for Bram are complicated, however, when Emile starts developing an attraction to Montoni’s nephew, Count Henri Morano. Romance gives way to horror when, after a series of violently dismembered corpses are discovered on the chateau grounds, Emile realizes that something sinister is afoot. Emile’s sensitive and thoughtful first-person narration forms the core of this tale, which teems with heart-pounding moments both amorous and frightening. While the central mystery is predictable, Ferraro’s handling of coercive power dynamics and conflicting desires, coupled with the intensely raw queer relationships, is fresh and impressive. Emile and Henri cue as white; Bram is Black. Ages 14–up. Agent: Eva Scalzo, Speilburg Literary.