Although they’ve lived side by side in the only two houses on Route 29 in rural upstate New York for over twenty years, Howie Jeffries—avid fisherman, accidental recluse—and Emily Phane—seemingly well-adjusted college student—have never actually spoken to each other. Both have their reasons: Howie is debilitatingly shy, and Emily has been hiding the fact that she suffers from a nighttime affliction that makes her terrified to go to sleep. But one day, when they least expect it, their worlds finally intersect. A most curious—and curiously funny—novel about two unlikely comrades-in-arms, The Household Spirit is a story about how little we know the people we see every day—and the depths and foibles of the human heart.