Middle school student Clara Hutchins and her mother inherit a creaky Victorian bed and breakfast on the outskirts of Biskopskulla, Illinois, a lonely historic site settled by a group of religious fanatics. In the present day, it’s just a tiny town—a village, technically—where Clara’s prospects for new friends are as low as the population.
As she adjusts to her new surroundings, Clara discovers that her family has a history in the region: one hundred forty years ago, one of her ancestors was hanged as a witch from the white oak tree on the edge of town.
When Clara finds a mildewed diary in the basement, she’s even able to read the rambling thoughts of this long-dead relative. But when the book’s predictions about Clara’s own life start coming true, she realizes those 19th-century villagers had a point: her great-great-great grandmother really did have an unearthly ability to peer into the future!
Now, a break-in at the tomb of the old cult’s founder means a great evil has returned to Biskopskulla. Clara and her newest friends—two of the weirdest boys in school—must join forces to decipher the messages of a murdered witch and stop an unnatural catastrophe from destroying the town. But as they quest through historic cemeteries, backcountry libraries, and high-octane academic bowl tournaments, something sinister is lurking, watching, and waiting…
