The Guest Children: A Novel

“The Guest Children is a novel that is both unsettling and deeply moving. . . . It will not only carry you away but return you to a forgotten place within yourself.” —Andrew Pyper, author of Oracle and The Demonologist

Not all hauntings are confined to houses

With the mounting terror of the German Blitz on London in 1940, thousands of British “guest children” are sent abroad to escape the bombing. Among them are Michael and Frances Hawksby, who are shipped off to Canada to stay with relatives. Years later, as WW II finally comes to an end, their surviving family members realize that no one has heard from them since.

Randall Sturgess wanted to do his part in the war but was forced to stay home to look after his troubled and unstable younger brother, Edward. Impoverished, shamed as a coward, and running out of work options as veterans return home, Randall takes a job investigating the disappearance of the Hawksby children. Reluctantly leaving Edward behind, Randall follows the children’s trail to the wilds of northern Ontario, where he finds an isolated and ramshackle resort called Glass Point Lodge. Here he discovers the secretive aunt and uncle who took in the young Hawksbys, along with an odd collection of seemingly permanent guests, none of whom seems willing to tell Randall the truth about the missing children. 

Plagued with vivid nightmares about the war, and troubled by dark visions and a persistent feeling that he’s being watched, Randall searches the imposing woods and lake for any trace of Michael and Frances. Convinced that something terrible has happened to them, Randall delves ever deeper into the mysteries of the lodge, its inhabitants, and the long-buried memories of his childhood, not realizing that the darkest secrets he unearths may be his own.

PATRICK TARRis an award-winning film and television writer whose work has been seen around the globe. Originally from Vancouver, he lives in Toronto with his family.

ISBN: 9781443473958
Format: Paperback
Pages: 272
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: August 12, 2025

“Combining the childhood otherworlds of C.S. Lewis, the dark horror of Stephen King, and the psychological gothic of Shirley Jackson, The Guest Children is a novel at once unsettling and deeply moving. Patrick Tarr's debut takes the reader to unexpected corners of the heart where both buried grief and our most constant attachments reside. Uncommonly well-written, gripping, deliciously entertaining, this is a book that will not only carry you away, but return you to a forgotten place within yourself.” — Andrew Pyper, author of Oracle and The Demonologist"Eerie, atmospheric, and wonderfully original, The Guest Children is a unique exploration of what it means to be haunted—by trauma, by family, and by the ghosts that linger in dark places. Set in a vivid postwar landscape, Tarr’s debut takes us from war-torn London to a remote lodge in northern Canada full of secrets and strangeness, where nothing is as it seems and reality is increasingly uncertain. Readers will devour this captivating, psychological ghost story." — Jo Kaplan, Shirley Jackson Award-nominated author of It Will Just Be Us“Reminiscent of Markus Zusak's The Book Thief, The Guest Children masterfully blends history and the supernatural, taking readers deep into the minds and hearts of children scarred by war. Haunting, immersive, and unforgettable—I loved it!” — Daniel Kalla, bestselling author of The Deepest Fake“The Guest Children is a moody, gripping, unnerving mystery that evokes the giddy but disorienting thrill of waking up from the nightmare of the Second World War only to discover that some ghosts don’t stay in the dark. Patrick Tarr’s crisp, propulsive storytelling had me up way too late, equal parts excited and chilled to know how it all ends.” — Elan Mastai, author of All Our Wrong Todays“The Guest Children delivers all the pleasures of a war time ghost story — missing children, a mysterious inn, closely-guarded secrets, and a man with a haunted past set to solve it all — but then goes one step further to upend your expectations, leaving you to turn the pages faster and faster, far into the night. It is a lush, visual haunting that will get into your bones— and your dreams.” — Elisabeth De Mariaffi, author of The Retreat“The Guest Children is a wrenching supernatural novel and a tightly paced mystery that's disguised as a ghost story. A terrific debut where a cast of unforgettable characters wage private wars of grief, lost childhoods, and truths too painful to confront. A remarkable book.” — Naben Ruthnum, author of Helpmeet