House of Salt and Sorrows Summary, Characters and Themes

House of Salt and Sorrows by Erin A. Craig is a dark, lyrical retelling of the classic fairy tale The Twelve Dancing Princesses, set in a moody, sea-drenched Gothic world. 

It follows Annaleigh Thaumas, one of twelve sisters cursed by a string of mysterious deaths. As grief and superstition grip her family, Annaleigh begins to suspect there’s something far more sinister than mere misfortune at play. With ghostly visions, enchanted doorways, and ancient sea gods woven into the plot, the novel blends suspense, romance, and horror into a rich and haunting atmosphere that explores themes of loss, madness, and fate.

Summary

Annaleigh Thaumas lives at Highmoor, a grand estate by the sea, with her father, stepmother, and eleven sisters—though death keeps stealing them away. At the start of the story, they’ve already lost four sisters, each death more tragic and mysterious than the last. 

The latest, Eulalie, is believed to have fallen from the cliffs, but Annaleigh suspects foul play. Whispers of a curse haunt the family, and the people of the island begin to distance themselves from the cursed Thaumas line.

Their stepmother, Morella, a beautiful and ambitious woman now pregnant with a son, pushes for an end to the mourning period. 

Despite Annaleigh’s resistance, the house begins to embrace color and celebration again, even as grief simmers beneath the surface. When Annaleigh starts investigating Eulalie’s death, she uncovers clues that point to secrets Eulalie was keeping — a broken locket, secret meetings, and the possibility of a lover.

Meanwhile, Annaleigh’s youngest sister, Verity, claims to see the ghosts of the dead sisters. The others begin to experience strange dreams, and the younger girls grow obsessed with dancing. Annaleigh discovers that her sisters have been sneaking out through a magical doorway hidden in their manor. 

The door leads to opulent, enchanted masquerade balls in fantastical realms. The dancing becomes addictive, draining the girls of energy and filling them with an eerie, compulsive joy.

As Annaleigh tries to understand the magic behind the doorways, she grows close to Cassius, a mysterious outsider who came to pay his respects at Eulalie’s funeral. Their relationship blossoms into romance, and Cassius supports her quest to uncover the truth. 

Annaleigh starts to unravel a myth involving ancient sea gods, particularly Pontus and Kosamaras, the Trickster god of madness, who might be behind the family’s tragedies.

Disturbing hallucinations begin to plague Annaleigh. She sees decaying faces in mirrors, watches loved ones turn into corpses before her eyes, and finds herself doubting her sanity. 

After yet another sister, Rosalie, dies under similar suspicious circumstances, Annaleigh becomes a suspect and is briefly confined by her own family.

As the darkness tightens around her, she pieces together the truth: Morella made a pact with Kosamaras in exchange for conceiving a child. In return, she promised the souls of the Thaumas daughters. 

The magical balls, the deaths, and the curse all stem from this dark deal. 

Morella has been manipulating the family the entire time, working to secure her place at Highmoor for her unborn child — a vessel for Kosamaras himself.

With the help of Cassius, Annaleigh escapes and confronts Kosamaras in a twisted, magical realm. Though the Trickster mocks her defiance, she fights back to protect her remaining sisters, Ligeia, Lenore, Camille, and Verity, who are falling deeper under his spell.

In the final confrontation, Morella dies in a grotesque, supernatural fashion, and her unborn child’s role in the curse is revealed. Her death severs the deal with Kosamaras, who vanishes, defeated. 

The magical doors disappear, and the remaining sisters are finally free from the enchantment.

In the aftermath, Highmoor begins to heal. The Duke, broken but remorseful, reconnects with his surviving daughters. 

Cassius stays with Annaleigh, and they dream of a future together. In the epilogue, set seven months later, the Thaumas sisters are rebuilding their lives. Though they carry the grief of their lost siblings, they are no longer dancing under a curse — they’re dancing for themselves.

Characters

Annaleigh Thaumas

Annaleigh, the protagonist of the story, is a young woman deeply affected by the mysterious deaths of her sisters. As the remaining Thaumas daughter in the family, she carries the burden of not only mourning the loss of her sisters but also trying to uncover the truth behind the haunting events.

Her suspicion that something supernatural or malicious is responsible for the deaths drives much of the plot. Annaleigh is resourceful, intelligent, and protective, especially of her younger sisters, and she grows increasingly determined to break the curse that seems to be destroying her family.

Her emotional complexity is portrayed as she navigates her grief, feelings of isolation, and her growing romance with Cassius.

Cassius Corum

Cassius, initially introduced as a stranger at Eulalie’s funeral, becomes an integral figure in Annaleigh’s life. Though he presents himself as a supportive ally, his true identity as the Prince of Vasa is eventually revealed.

This discovery complicates his relationship with Annaleigh, as his initial interest in the Thaumas family was rooted in an investigation into their mysterious deaths. However, as his feelings for Annaleigh grow, he becomes a loyal and protective figure, helping her confront the dark forces threatening her family.

Cassius is portrayed as charismatic, compassionate, and brave, especially when he helps Annaleigh escape from confinement and confront the malevolent forces at play.

Morella

Morella, the Duke’s new wife, is one of the primary antagonists of the story. Initially, she appears to be a cold and indifferent stepmother to the Thaumas sisters, but as the plot progresses, it becomes clear that she is the one responsible for the dark events surrounding their deaths.

Morella’s motivations are tied to her desire for power and security, which she gains through a dangerous pact with Kosamaras, the Trickster god. In exchange for conceiving a child, she agrees to sacrifice the lives and souls of the Thaumas sisters.

Morella’s manipulative and ruthless nature is revealed as her actions lead to the deaths of several of the sisters. Her eventual downfall is a result of breaking the terms of her pact with the Trickster, ultimately leading to her violent death.

The Duke Ortun Thaumas

The Duke, Annaleigh’s father, is a deeply conflicted character throughout the novel. His role in the family’s tragedy is marked by his grief, guilt, and eventual inability to protect his daughters.

After the death of his first wife, he marries Morella, which brings further turmoil to the family. His desire to maintain peace and stability often leads him to make decisions that appear to favor Morella’s desires over the well-being of his daughters.

While he is not directly involved in the supernatural events, his emotional detachment from the horror that surrounds his family makes him an unwitting enabler of Morella’s machinations. Over time, however, he begins to reconnect with his daughters and take responsibility for his actions, especially after Morella’s demise.

Camille, Lenore, Ligeia, Rosalie, and Verity Thaumas

The remaining Thaumas sisters each have unique personalities and responses to the tragedies they face. Camille, the most beautiful and poised of the sisters, becomes increasingly frail and vulnerable under the pressure of the curse.

Her collapse marks a turning point in the family’s unraveling. The triplets, Lenore, Ligeia, and Rosalie, share a deep bond but are often depicted as more playful and spirited, though the curse’s toll on them is devastating.

Rosalie’s death is a shocking moment that solidifies Annaleigh’s belief that something evil is at work. Verity, the youngest, is portrayed as sensitive and more attuned to the supernatural occurrences, often experiencing visions of the dead sisters.

Each sister’s death contributes to the overall sense of grief and loss that defines the family dynamic, while their eventual survival and resilience reflect the triumph of love and sisterhood in the end.

Kosamaras

Kosamaras, the Trickster god, is the ultimate antagonist of the story. His role as a manipulative and mischievous deity is central to the magical forces that drive the plot.

Kosamaras is the one who instigates the curse on the Thaumas family, using Morella as his mortal intermediary. His interactions with Annaleigh are characterized by a taunting and malicious tone, as he seeks to claim the souls of the sisters.

Kosamaras represents the destructive power of dark forces and is a reflection of the dangers of pacts with the supernatural. His eventual defeat marks the end of the curse and the restoration of peace for the Thaumas family.

Fisher

Fisher, Annaleigh’s childhood friend and the keeper of the lighthouse, offers a sense of normalcy and grounding for Annaleigh amidst the chaos. His role in the story is relatively minor, but his warnings about the unnatural forces at play highlight the increasing danger the family faces.

Fisher serves as a reminder of the world outside of the magical chaos of Highmoor, and his connection to Annaleigh is a source of comfort and familiarity. Though his character is not as central to the plot, his friendship and loyalty to Annaleigh offer emotional support during her darkest moments.

Themes

The Curse of the Family and the Weight of Grief

The most prominent and persistent theme throughout House of Salt and Sorrows is the idea of a family curse, which not only affects the sisters’ lives but also deeply intertwines with their emotional and psychological burdens. The Thaumas family is plagued by the deaths of several sisters under mysterious circumstances, which the community believes is a result of a curse.

This haunting belief forces the sisters to live under a cloud of suspicion and sorrow, exacerbating their already heavy grief. Annaleigh, the protagonist, spends much of the story wrestling with this overwhelming sense of loss and the suspicion that something unnatural is at play.

The narrative explores the ways in which grief can be inherited, both in terms of family legacy and personal trauma. It’s a grief that twists and turns, influencing the choices and behaviors of the surviving family members, such as their fluctuating responses to Morella’s manipulations and the arrival of strange, supernatural events.

The Supernatural and the Manipulation of Fate

Closely tied to the theme of grief is the supernatural force that looms over the Thaumas family. The idea that they are being manipulated by an external, mystical power adds a layer of unease and foreboding.

The magical doors, the enchanted shoes, and the dark deal made with the Trickster god Kosamaras all point to a reality where fate is not just dictated by chance but actively manipulated by otherworldly beings. Morella’s pact with Kosamaras, in particular, highlights a theme of power and control.

She’s not just a mother seeking to secure her family’s legacy, but a woman who is willing to sacrifice the lives of her stepdaughters to achieve her goals. This manipulation of fate leads Annaleigh on a quest to break free from the cursed destiny that seems to be closing in on her sisters.

The presence of supernatural forces in the novel ultimately asks questions about free will, the ability to change one’s destiny, and how much of life’s suffering can be attributed to cosmic forces beyond human control.

The Destructive Power of Secrets and Lies

Another pervasive theme in the novel is the destructive nature of secrets and lies, particularly within the family. The Thaumas sisters are kept in the dark about the true nature of their family’s curse and the dark bargains that Morella has struck to ensure her own power.

Morella, in particular, embodies the theme of deception, as she hides her true motives behind the facade of maternal care and love. Her lies eventually unravel, revealing her willingness to sacrifice her stepdaughters for the sake of her own desires.

These hidden truths not only threaten the physical and emotional safety of the family but also compound the sense of paranoia and instability. The sisters’ gradual discovery of these secrets — through visions, ghostly encounters, and their investigation into the mysterious events surrounding Eulalie’s death — drives the plot and underscores the harmful impact of deceit.

The narrative illustrates how secrets can isolate individuals, breed distrust, and lead to irreversible harm, as seen in the tragic consequences of Morella’s actions.

The Bond of Sisterhood and the Power of Family

Despite the overwhelming darkness and tragedy that surround them, the sisters’ bond forms a crucial theme in the story. The dynamic between Annaleigh and her surviving sisters — Camille, Lenore, Ligeia, Verity, and the departed sisters — is one of love, support, and sacrifice.

Throughout the novel, the bond of sisterhood becomes a source of strength and motivation for Annaleigh as she confronts the horrors and manipulations that threaten her family. It is this familial connection that drives her to uncover the truth about their cursed fate, and she becomes determined to protect her sisters, even when they fall under the influence of the supernatural.

The theme of family and sisterhood is most evident in moments of crisis, where the surviving sisters come together to support one another and face the darkness together. Annaleigh’s deep connection to her sisters highlights the ways in which family can serve as both a source of comfort and a potential burden, as the sisters’ collective grief and the shared trauma of their loss bind them even closer.

Escapism and the Temptation of the Magical Realm

The allure of escapism, represented by the magical masquerade balls and the enchanted shoes, plays a significant role in the narrative. These magical elements initially provide a temporary escape from the harsh reality the sisters face, as they are lured into a world where they can forget their grief and dance away their troubles.

However, this escape ultimately proves to be dangerous. The shoes, which initially offer the promise of endless joy, come at a cost — they are linked to the power of Kosamaras, and the more the sisters indulge in these magical realms, the more they fall under the Trickster god’s influence.

The seductive nature of escapism is portrayed as a double-edged sword: while it offers temporary relief, it also entraps the sisters, leading them further away from reality and into a deadly cycle. This theme examines the human tendency to seek refuge from pain and suffering, only to find that such escapes can often lead to deeper entanglements in darker forces.

The Struggle for Autonomy and Breaking Free from Control

Finally, the theme of autonomy is deeply explored through Annaleigh’s journey. From the very beginning, Annaleigh is forced to navigate a world that seems bent on controlling her fate. Whether it is the oppressive grief that binds the family, Morella’s manipulative control over the Duke, or the supernatural forces that threaten the lives of the sisters, Annaleigh struggles to reclaim her agency.

Her search for the truth about her sisters’ deaths and her eventual confrontation with Kosamaras mark her fight for control over her destiny. This theme resonates with the larger narrative of breaking free from oppressive structures, whether they be societal, familial, or supernatural.

In the end, Annaleigh’s efforts to protect her family and defy the malevolent forces around her represent a reclaiming of autonomy, not just for herself but for her surviving sisters as well.