Turnabout: A Colorado Ghost Tale
When 12-year-old Benjamin Dodge loses his older brother Nate in a car accident, he is overwhelmed by grief. Then he discovers an ancient magic he hopes will bring his brother back from the dead. But the magic works differently than he expects — it introduces him to other people’s grief and to the ghosts they’re holding onto.
Suddenly, the veil separating the world of the living and the spirit realm is threatened, and Benjamin must find a way to return the magic before ghosts start roaming the Earth. But can he and his friends Winslow and Moon Dog do it in time? And if they’re successful, will Benjamin see his brother Nate again?
Featuring a diverse cast of characters and an original mythology, Adam Eisenberg’s “Turnabout” presents a unique approach to grief. Unlike most contemporary middle-grade novels in which loved ones perish at the hands of evil wizards, vampires or post-apocalyptic tyrants, Nate dies in an everyday tragedy. Through Benjamin’s efforts to turnabout his brother’s death, readers will learn that experiencing loss is a natural consequence of being alive.
A MYSTICAL Place Come to Life
Our story takes place in and around Indigo Springs, a town on the front range of the Colorado Rockies.
THE LEGEND
Can MAGIC waters help Benjamin bring his brother back to life?
For many centuries, the soothing, hot geothermal waters of Indigo Springs were known to the Plains Indians and the early European settlers for their ability to heal. But, in a legend whispered in the night, the spring pools are said to do much more—they have the power to turnabout death.
Healing waters appear in legends all over the world. “Turnabout” builds upon these ancient stories to present an original mythology of mystical spring pools, elemental stones and swirling dust devils. As Benjamin discovers, Indigo Springs is a doorway to the realm of the dead, and the secret to seeing Nate again may lie in letting him go.
“Legend has it,” Mr. Romero said in a whisper, “the spring waters not only heal the sick but also turnabout death. They bring the dead back to life.”
MEET OUR HEROES
BENJAMIN DODGE
Nate’s sudden death shatters Benjamin’s life in the seventh grade, and he no longer knows how to relate his friends, teachers and parents. Only the hope of unleashing the healing powers of the waters can keep Benjamin from losing himself in unbearable grief. But will the magic work and bring Nate back to life?
WINSLOW ABATI
Benjamin’s best friend grew up in Indigo Springs, but his parents are from North Africa and France. Annoyingly good in school, Win is initially skeptical about the legend. Then they stumble upon a pioneer’s journal from 150 years ago, and Win’s fluency in French helps Benjamin solve the riddle of the magic waters.
MOON DOG
Moon Dog earned her name when Benjamin and Nate found her standing one night outside their kitchen door. With pale blue eyes and dirty-white fur that seemed to glow in the moonlight, they suspected she was made up of moonbeams. Now that Nate’s gone, could the coyote-like Moon Dog be more than she appears?
ABOUT ADAM
Adam Eisenberg grew up on a ranch outside Boulder, Colorado. He spent his childhood riding horses, showing calves at the county fair, playing with dogs, and chasing after dust devils.
Currently, Adam lives in Seattle, Washington. He teaches Museum Law and other classes at the University of Washington, serves as a judge pro tempore for the Tulalip Tribal Court and district courts in Western Washington, and practices the martial art of aikido. Prior to his work in the law, he was a Los Angeles-based entertainment journalist.
Adam is the author of “A Different Shade of Blue: How Women Changed the Face of Police Work.” “Turnabout” is his first middle-grade novel. For more information, visit www.adameisenberg.com.