The Ghostwriter

by Katherine Bolger Hyde

COMING AUGUST 2026

Maeve O’Shaughnessy has been writing novels to great critical acclaim for twenty years without ever making a public appearance. But when her publisher insists she begin promoting her own books, Maeve, a recluse with anxiety disorder, cannot face such a terrifying ordeal. Instead, she recruits her identical twin, Margaret, to be her public persona.

Despite her misgivings, Margaret—recently divorced and in need of income—agrees. Problems quickly arise, from being recognized by acquaintances to falling in love with a man who hero-worships Maeve. With every talk or book signing, the line between her own personality and her sister’s blurs a little more. When Maeve is critically injured in a car accident, Margaret faces the most harrowing decision of all: Will she continue to live as Maeve, or will she take possession of her own life and become the woman she was always meant to be?

ADVANCE PRAISE FOR THE GHOSTWRITER

Katherine Bolger Hyde has written for us a sensitive, deeply moving story about caregiving, mental illness, grief, boundaries, spiritual healing, and love in this compulsively readable book. The Ghostwriter is replete with suspense, romance, and redemption. I couldn’t put it down. As in all her writing, Hyde creates a beautiful sense of place, both geographically and within her characters’ interior worlds. Readers will find themselves rooting for both Margaret and Maeve even as we shake our heads in frustration at their choices. The pivotal role of San Francisco’s own Orthodox saint, St. John Maximovitch, unveils itself seamlessly and authentically in the story. It raises so many important questions: How far should we go for the people we love? When is the right time to tell a hard truth? How do we care for those who need our care without losing ourselves? These questions make The Ghostwriter an excellent choice for book clubs and classroom discussions. I highly recommend it. —Phoebe Farag Mikhail, author of Putting Joy into Practice: Seven Ways to Lift Your Spirit from the Early Church and Hunger for Righteousness: A Lenten Journey Towards Intimacy with God and Loving Our Neighbor

In an age that sells personal identity and all its trappings as the most important commodity, The Ghostwriter was a provoking and fast-paced story that explores how decisions made across a lifetime and those with whom we are forever linked can define a person. I couldn’t put this book down as I read Margaret and Maeve’s story, and I found myself rooting for truth and the healthiest expression of personhood to prevail in both characters. Katherine Bolger Hyde, who has written books on saints and regular people, is an expert at exploring the complexities of being human, and you won’t be able to put this book down, either, once you pick it up. —Brandi Willis Schreiber, author of A Long Walk with Mary: A Personal Search for the Mother of God