Thank you to NetGalley, Lake Union Publishing, and Paulette Kennedy for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. 

You can't help but fall in love with Loretta and her story. It's the 1950s in rural Missouri - Pete and Loretta (Mr. and Mrs. Davenport) are the picture-perfect couple. Pete is a professor at the local bible college, Loretta is a homemaker, and they have two children. 

But behind closed doors, Pete and Loretta's marriage is another story, one of perpetual unhappiness, especially after a local girl is found murdered. Loretta begins to receive messages from the next dimension, but Pete paints a picture of lunacy. With the help of a local parapsychological doctor, Dr. Curt Hansen, Loretta can channel these messages, which is a blessing. Pete sees this as the devil's work...

After reading "The Devil and Mrs. Davenport", I can say that the 1950s is another decade I want to read more about. This book reminded me of "The Lobotomist's Wife" and while the 50s were on the cusp of women entering the workforce and making a life for themselves, that decade is an eerie part of our nation's history. Women couldn't open bank accounts without permission from their husband or a male relative, divorce wasn't an option without substantial proof of adultery, not to mention the rise of institutions and unjust medical experiments. Paulette's writing transported me to this time.

Loretta's character was fascinating - inspired by Shirley Jackson - this talented and fearless woman, who is trapped literally and figuratively. I loved learning more about Loretta and her relationships with other women and men in the story, and how she sought out people to help her, despite her husband's wishes. 

I don't want to give anything away, but I really enjoyed this story, and the parapsychology element. Especially the mention of Rhine cards - I have read a few books that referenced Rhine cards, which was another fascinating experiment in the 1900s.