The House of Last Resort Summary, Characters and Themes

The House of Last Resort by Christopher Golden is a chilling supernatural thriller set in the eerie, crumbling town of Becchina, Sicily. 

When American couple Tommy and Kate Puglisi seize the chance to buy an old house for just one Euro, it feels like the perfect escape from their Boston life. But the house holds dark secrets—hidden rooms, unsettling noises, and a sinister history tied to the Church. As the couple uncovers the truth about their home, they are drawn into a terrifying legacy of possession, exorcism, and ancient evil that refuses to stay buried.

Summary

Tommy and Kate Puglisi are an American couple searching for a fresh start. When they come across an irresistible deal—a centuries-old house in the nearly abandoned Sicilian town of Becchina for just one Euro—they leap at the opportunity. The only catch: they must live there for at least five years. 

For Tommy, the decision feels like coming full circle; his grandparents were from Becchina, and he has fond childhood memories of the town. Both he and Kate work remotely, making the move seem like an adventure, a romantic escape from their life in Boston.

But from the moment they arrive, Becchina feels… off. The town, perched on a decaying hilltop, is eerily quiet. 

The streets are nearly empty, and the locals, though polite, carry an air of guarded secrecy. Their new home, while beautiful with its old-world charm, feels suffocating. Oddities begin almost immediately: doors left locked mysteriously open, strange noises echo through the hallways at night, and an oppressive presence seems to lurk just out of sight.

Things take a darker turn when Tommy’s grandmother, Nonna, visits. Her reaction is one of pure terror—not just at the town but specifically at the house they’ve chosen. She cryptically warns them never to have children there, leaving Tommy and Kate rattled. 

Nonna’s fear seems to awaken something dormant in the house, and soon, the couple experiences vivid nightmares, fleeting shadows, and an overwhelming sense of being watched. 

A minor earthquake shakes the town, but it’s the growing unease within the house that truly unsettles them.

Their exploration reveals hidden annexes, secret stairwells, and locked doors that were never part of the house tour. They uncover relics hinting at a dark past—rooms that weren’t just abandoned but deliberately concealed. The house once belonged to the Church, used for exorcisms. 

Known by locals as “The House of Last Resort,” it was where the Vatican sent cases deemed beyond hope—people believed to be irredeemably possessed.

The couple’s relationship begins to fray under the house’s sinister influence. Tommy becomes obsessed with the house’s history, diving into old records and speaking with reluctant townspeople. Kate, meanwhile, grapples with fear and isolation, feeling as though the house itself is trying to separate them. 

They meet other expatriates, referred to as “Imports,” who were drawn to Becchina under similar property schemes. Many of them have experienced unsettling events, but few are willing to discuss it openly.

Through these interactions, Tommy uncovers disturbing family secrets. His grandfather, Nonno, was not just a simple Sicilian farmer; he was connected to the house’s dark past. 

Nonno had been possessed by a demon named Alberith—a malevolent force that had been partially suppressed but never fully exorcised. The demon lingered in his body for decades, influencing his family from the shadows. When Nonno died, Alberith sought a new host. 

The rules of possession demand a blood relative, making Tommy the perfect vessel.

The house itself seems to conspire against them. Tommy begins experiencing blackouts, vivid hallucinations, and violent outbursts—signs that Alberith is tightening its grip. Kate fights to save him, even as the house reveals its final horrors: catacombs beneath the property, filled with the mummified remains of those who didn’t survive the exorcisms. 

In these dark tunnels, Tommy succumbs to full possession.

Kate refuses to give up. With the help of Don Pino, a local priest, and Rohaan, one of the Imports, she stages a desperate exorcism. 

The spirits of priests who once battled the demon join the fight, their ghostly prayers clashing with Alberith’s malevolence. Don Pino sacrifices himself to weaken the demon, giving Kate the chance to reach Tommy. Her love becomes the key—an emotional tether strong enough to pull him back from the abyss.

In a final, harrowing confrontation, Tommy regains control long enough for Alberith to be banished. The house is scarred but freed from its curse. Tommy and Kate, though forever changed, survive. They decide to stay in Becchina, turning the house into a historical site—a tribute to those who suffered there and a testament to the darkness they conquered. 

Their love, tested by both human and supernatural horrors, endures, proving that even in the face of unimaginable evil, resilience is possible.

Characters

Tommy Puglisi

Tommy begins the story as a hopeful, somewhat skeptical character, eager to escape his life in Boston and start fresh with Kate in the small Sicilian town of Becchina. His decision to move into the house, tied to his family’s history, is driven by a mix of romanticism and the desire for a new beginning.

At first, Tommy seems emotionally distant from his heritage and the complexities of his family’s past. But as the story unfolds, he must confront uncomfortable truths about his family’s legacy.

The house, and the supernatural forces tied to it, force him to reckon with his own identity. He begins to uncover dark secrets about his grandfather’s involvement with demonic forces.

Tommy’s journey is not just one of physical survival but of internal transformation. As the malevolent presence in the house grows stronger, Tommy faces the real threat of possession, symbolizing his struggle to break free from the influence of his ancestors and reclaim control over his own life.

His arc is defined by his emotional growth, as he shifts from skepticism and denial to a full confrontation with the supernatural and, ultimately, his own fears and family history.

Kate Puglisi

Kate starts the novel as the more grounded and rational half of the couple, offering a counterbalance to Tommy’s sense of adventure and emotional detachment. She is initially skeptical of the supernatural occurrences that begin to unfold around them.

As the house’s dark forces begin to affect her physically and emotionally, Kate’s disbelief is shattered. Her character arc centers on her transition from a supportive spouse to a fierce protector.

Kate is forced to reconcile her logical worldview with the overwhelming evidence of the supernatural that she can no longer ignore. Her love and dedication to Tommy become central to the plot, as her emotional connection to him provides the strength needed to battle the demon that threatens to possess him.

Unlike Tommy, Kate doesn’t have the same personal ties to the town or its dark past, which gives her a sense of emotional clarity. But it also means that her terror is more immediate.

Her arc emphasizes themes of love, sacrifice, and the power of emotional resilience in the face of overwhelming horror.

Don Pino

Don Pino is a tragic yet deeply faithful figure, embodying the role of spiritual guide and sacrificial protector. As a local priest, he holds knowledge of the house’s dark past, including its connection to the church and its use for exorcisms.

Don Pino is a figure of quiet strength and sacrifice, offering a deep understanding of the evil that resides in the house. His faith provides him with the courage to face it head-on.

His character is defined by his willingness to give up his life to protect others, most notably Tommy. Don Pino’s tragic fate underscores the novel’s exploration of faith, the battle between good and evil, and the moral cost of confronting supernatural forces.

His sacrifice is a pivotal moment in the story, as it weakens the demon’s grip and gives Tommy and Kate a fighting chance. Through Don Pino, the novel touches on the theme of selflessness and the moral imperative to protect others, even at great personal cost.

Franca

Franca is the novel’s primary antagonist, a woman devoted to the demon Alberith and the cause of its ongoing influence. She is a figure of manipulation and zealotry, orchestrating events that lead Tommy and Kate to Becchina, ensuring that Tommy becomes the demon’s next vessel.

Franca’s motivations are rooted in a twisted devotion to the demon and a desire to see its power spread. Unlike other characters who are victims of the house’s dark influence, Franca actively works to maintain and amplify its malevolent forces.

She is a deeply complex antagonist, driven by a belief in the righteousness of her cause, even as she becomes increasingly unhinged. Her manipulation of the Puglisis and other expatriates in the town reveals the insidious nature of evil: it is not always overt or obvious but can be embedded in human choices and actions.

Franca represents the danger of blind faith and the lengths to which some will go to serve darker forces. She becomes both a personal and philosophical adversary for Tommy, Kate, and the town of Becchina.

Themes

The Haunting Power of Legacy and Family History

In The House of Last Resort, the weight of family legacy is a central theme that drives both the plot and character arcs. Tommy’s return to Becchina and his connection to the house is not merely a desire for a new life, but also a revisiting of long-hidden family secrets.

His grandparents’ history and their involvement with the house, particularly his grandfather’s possession by a demon, underscore the inescapable nature of family legacy. This legacy isn’t just about familial ties; it’s about the inheritance of trauma, secrets, and supernatural forces that shape future generations.

Tommy’s struggle is not just with the house itself but with the curse passed down through his bloodline. His journey highlights the difficulty of severing ties with the past, particularly when that past is embedded in a dark, sinister legacy.

The house serves as a physical manifestation of these generational burdens, where the sins of the ancestors echo in the lives of their descendants. As Tommy grapples with the realization that he is the next chosen vessel for the demon, the novel powerfully explores how one’s family history can dictate their fate, regardless of how far they try to distance themselves from it.

The Complex Intersection of Supernatural and Psychological Horror

Christopher Golden masterfully intertwines supernatural horror with psychological terror, creating a narrative that is as much about the mind’s unraveling as it is about ghosts and demons. The house in Becchina is not only a haunted structure but a force that manipulates its inhabitants psychologically, driving them to the brink of madness.

Tommy’s gradual descent into obsession and possession illustrates how the house feeds off fear, isolation, and guilt. The eerie occurrences—strange noises, visions of ghostly figures, and physical sensations—are not merely supernatural phenomena but representations of the psychological effects of living in such an oppressive, haunted space.

Kate’s sleepwalking and Tommy’s nightmares are manifestations of the house’s malevolent power, as it preys on their vulnerabilities and insecurities. The slow mental deterioration of the couple creates an atmosphere of dread that is as much internal as it is external.

The psychological horror explores how the mind, when faced with the unknown or the unexplainable, can fragment and succumb to terror. The house becomes a mirror to the characters’ deepest fears, exposing the fragility of the human mind when confronted with true horror.

The Fragility of Human Relationships in the Face of Unseen Forces

At its core, The House of Last Resort is also a study of the fragility of human relationships, especially when they are tested by external forces beyond the realm of understanding. Tommy and Kate’s relationship is strained by the house’s influence, which causes them to confront their pasts, their personal demons, and the very nature of their connection to each other.

Initially drawn together by a sense of adventure and romantic optimism, the couple soon finds that their bond is tested by the malevolent forces at play in the house. Tommy becomes obsessed with uncovering the truth, which alienates him from Kate, who is more concerned with the emotional toll of the house’s terror.

The novel explores how fear, isolation, and the unknown can erode trust and closeness, as each character retreats into themselves to cope with the horrors they are experiencing. Their emotional distance mirrors the physical and spiritual barriers created by the house.

However, the resolution of the story, where Kate’s unwavering love for Tommy becomes the key to saving him from possession, suggests that while external forces can threaten relationships, the strength of emotional connection—particularly love—can overcome even the darkest of influences.

The Silent Evil of Isolation and the Power of Community

Becchina, a town seemingly abandoned and isolated from the rest of the world, becomes a focal point for exploring the theme of isolation and the pervasive evil that thrives within it. The town’s residents, many of whom have retreated into secrecy, embody the dangers of silent complicity.

The locals are wary of outsiders and reluctant to discuss the house’s history, revealing how silence can allow evil to fester and grow unchecked. This theme is exemplified by the community’s unwillingness to confront the darkness that has been allowed to grow in their midst.

The house, once a site for exorcisms and occult practices, reflects how the town’s collective silence and avoidance of its past have enabled malevolent forces to persist. The expatriates, or “Imports,” who move to Becchina looking for a fresh start, become a microcosm of the larger community, as they each face their own dark encounters with the house.

The novel suggests that while isolation may offer personal escape or even a sense of safety, it also leaves individuals vulnerable to being consumed by the unseen evils that thrive in the absence of accountability. However, the story also highlights the power of community as the expatriates, alongside local priest Don Pino, confront the dark force together.

The communal effort to banish the demon underscores the importance of solidarity in facing overwhelming evil, showing that it is through shared strength and cooperation that true healing can occur.

The Corruption of Faith and the Struggle for Redemption

Religion and faith are central to The House of Last Resort, where the line between salvation and damnation is blurred. The house’s role as a site for exorcisms conducted by the Vatican suggests a deeper conflict between faith, evil, and redemption.

The priests who once performed rituals in the house seem to have been powerless against the demon’s grip, questioning the efficacy of traditional religious practices in the face of true malevolent forces. Tommy’s grandfather’s possession and his ultimate failure to fully rid himself of the demon suggest that even religious figures are not immune to the influence of darkness.

The theme of redemption is explored through Tommy’s personal journey, where his struggle against possession becomes symbolic of the broader quest for spiritual and emotional redemption. Kate’s love for Tommy also serves as a redemptive force, helping him fight back against the demon’s control.

The house, once a place of supposed spiritual cleansing, becomes a twisted parody of redemption, with its exorcisms failing to save those who were brought there. Ultimately, the struggle for redemption is not just about defeating an external demon but also confronting personal failings, sins, and the possibility of spiritual renewal.

The novel interrogates the role of faith in a world where evil is not easily understood or vanquished, and where the path to salvation is fraught with peril.