From Publishers Weekly
Supernatural forces begin to surround Nora when she and the family that has taken care of her since her parents' tragic death years before move to a strange, old apartment. Guided by dreams, mysteriously revealed messages in a book of folklore, odd coincidences and the proddings of Dag, the boy she has grown up with, Nora is led to a toy repair shop where she is given a beautiful old doll that seems almost alive. But Nora's ultimate destination, and the purpose of her journey, are shrouded in mystery. Incident follows incident and suspense mounts as a generations-old puzzle begins to unravel. Agnes Cecilia is a first-rate mystery, a precise, warm-hearted psychological study and a remarkably original ghost story wrapped up in one thoroughly engrossing book. Ages 12-up.
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.

From School Library Journal
Grade 6 Up-- A believable ghost story that is intriguing and suspenseful, set in Sweden. Nora, whose parents were killed in an automobile accident, lives with her aunt, uncle, and cousin. Feelings of abandonment and of being an outsider are with her constantly. Now the family has moved into an old home that they are restoring, and Nora feels that a spirit from another time is trying to reach her. A message is passed to her, and she is told to go to an old doll shop in Stockholm, where she is given Agnes Cecilia, an oddly lifelike doll. Nora's cousin Dag's theory that it is logical to presume that we have much more to understand in this world than has been proven increases readers' acceptance of the spirit world represented here. The unfolding of the mystery of Nora's own heritage is inseparably linked to the unfolding of the mystery of the doll, and interwoven are Nora's discoveries about her own self and her place in the family. At the heart of events is a hard look at how much children need to feel wanted. Even as Nora discovers how much her adopted family includes her in their lives and hearts, the story of her predecessors makes it clear that many children are not as fortunate. This is a marvelous story, rich and rewarding. Characters from the past are as vivid as the ones from the present. Linking the supernatural events to the emotions of the characters offers readers an unusual perspective for thinking about some important ethical questions without ever supplanting the ghost story. --Carol A. Edwards, East Central Regional Library, Cambridge, MN
Copyright 1990 Reed Business Information, Inc.