THE EGYPTIAN MIRROR

Could a mirror create a supernatural and dangerous connection to ancient Egypt?

When 13-year-old Simon first enters Mr. Hawkins’ house he’s astonished by the collection of mirrors. According to Mr. Hawkins, ancient superstition said that people were born with doubles and that mirrors functioned as magical soul catchers. Simon might not have believed any of this if he had not himself seen visions in the reflections of one particular mirror. The arrival of a mysterious letter precipitates an avalanche of events causing Simon to wonder if the mirror is the cause of his undiagnosable illness as well as the sudden appearances of a menacing dog and a mystifying woman. Can Simon and his new friend, Abbey, unravel the secrets of the mirror before it’s too late? Bedard’s fourth stand-alone novel set in the town of Caledon again focuses on a good-versus-evil plot structured around supernatural events. The place and setting are strongly developed as each clue quietly builds to a suspenseful climax, and the slow pace contributes to an old-fashioned feel. The technology in Simon’s world points to a 1980s setting: Computers, ultrasounds, TVs, and landline phones exist but not the internet or cellphones. Descriptions of the exploits of early archaeologists in Egypt are presented in a romanticized fashion without any discussion of the ethics of the removal of artifacts to the West. Minimal physical descriptors indicate a White default.

A quiet story for patient readers.