The Missing Link in Modern Spiritualism

Through a careful weaving of letters, family portraits, and vivid recollections, this work offers a rare insider’s view of how modern spiritualism first sparked in a modest New York village in 1848. The narrative centers on the Fox family, especially the three sisters whose early séances attracted both curiosity and skepticism, and on their determined mother, whose influence shaped the movement’s early tone.

The author’s dedication to factual precision is underscored by an editor who describes a near‑courtroom consistency in her testimony, lending the account a scholarly reliability uncommon for the period. Accompanied by period illustrations—ranging from household diagrams to a baby’s alleged mediumship—the book traces how the modest gatherings spread beyond the countryside, reaching European courts and fashionable circles within a few decades. Listeners will find a balanced blend of personal drama and broader cultural context, making the origins of spiritualism feel both intimate and consequential.