Five nights at the Five Pines

"Five Nights at the Five Pines" by Harriet A. (Harriet Avery) Gaul is an early 20th-century novel that tells the story of Ruth, a woman on the verge of leaving the bustling streets of New York City for the isolating, yet captivating, atmosphere of Cape Cod. She's drawn to a peculiar residence known as the "House of the Five Pines," where she grapples with a yearning for tranquility and confronts the lingering memories of previous inhabitants, especially a woman named Mattie "Charles T. Smith," who is surrounded by whispers of local legend and misfortune. The story begins with Ruth's pondering the dramatic change from her city life to the stark beauty of Cape Cod, and her quest to learn the secrets of the house, unveiling a bewitching tale that blends mystery and suspense. Initial conversations hint at the unease the locals feel about the dunes and the House of the Five Pines, creating a gripping contrast between the present and the past that drives the story onward.