Deep and Dark and Dangerous

Mary Downing Hahn’s Deep and Dark and Dangerous, published in 2007 by Clarion Books, is one of numerous stories in the American artist and former librarian’s extensive catalogue. Hahn has published in the historical fiction, fantasy, and contemporary fiction genres, but some of her most acclaimed novels are ghost stories—including this one. Deep and Dark and Dangerous was well received by critics and was awarded Missouri’s 2010 Mark Twain Award for the best book for young readers and the Maud Hart Lovelace Book Award in 2011. It was also nominated in 2008 for the Edgar Allan Poe Awards in the Young Adult category. Although it is primarily a mystery horror novel, Deep and Dark and Dangerous is a continuation of Hahn’s trend of writing stories for young readers to enjoy and relate to. In this work, she explores themes of justice, reconciliation, loneliness, and alienation, as well as family secrets.

The story begins with the narrator, 13-year-old Ali, discovering a seemingly innocuous torn photograph. She can discern the hair and arm of a girl next to her mother and aunt posing by a lake. Their names are listed on the back of the picture, but the unknown girl’s name is partially torn off, such that only the letter “T” remains.