Arrival in a Ghost Town

Tommy and Kate, a young American couple, arrive in the nearly abandoned Sicilian hill town of Becchina, lured by the promise of a one-euro house and a slower, more meaningful life. Tommy's family roots run deep here, but the town is a shadow of its former self, haunted by empty storefronts and fading traditions. Their new home, perched on a cliff with breathtaking views, is beautiful but in disrepair, and the couple is filled with hope and trepidation as they cross the threshold, determined to build a future together far from the pressures of modern America.

Earthquake and Ominous Welcome

As Tommy and Kate stand at their new front door, an earthquake rattles the town, leaving them shaken but unharmed. The event is met with eerie calm by the locals, but their sense of unease grows when Tommy glimpses a shadowy figure inside the house. Soon after, Tommy's Nonna arrives, not with joy but with fear and anger, warning them that this is not the house for them and forbidding them from having children there. The couple is left unsettled, sensing that their dream home may harbor secrets and dangers they do not yet understand.

Unpacking Old Baggage

As they settle in, Tommy and Kate reflect on the emotional baggage they've brought with them—Tommy's complicated relationship with his parents and grandparents, Kate's desire to escape her own family's dysfunction, and their shared hope for a new beginning. The house itself seems to echo with the weight of the past, and as they unpack, they are haunted by memories, unresolved grief, and the sense that the house is watching and waiting.

The House's Dark Reputation

The couple's first dinner with Tommy's grandparents and neighbors is marred by tension and cryptic remarks. The house is referred to as "the House of Last Resort," a name that carries a heavy, unspoken history. The locals' discomfort and the old woman's superstitions hint at a legacy of suffering and secrets. Tommy and Kate are left to wonder what happened in their home and why the town seems to fear it.

Strange Noises, Stranger Neighbors

As days pass, the house reveals its strangeness: doors slam, shadows move, and locked rooms open on their own. Kate feels watched and hears footsteps when she is alone. The couple's attempts to connect with neighbors are met with suspicion or avoidance, deepening their sense of isolation. The house's annex, with its locked door and hidden rooms, becomes a focal point for their unease, and the sense of being unwelcome grows.

The Chapel and the Locked Door

Kate and Tommy finally gain access to the annex, discovering a dust-choked chapel filled with religious symbols and a sense of oppressive history. The room's purpose is unclear, but its atmosphere is heavy with sorrow and ritual. The couple cleans and renovates, trying to reclaim the space, but the chapel's past seems to resist their efforts. The locked door, once a barrier, now feels like a thin veil between them and something waiting in the dark.

Family Secrets and Local Legends

Conversations with Tommy's family and new friends reveal that the house was once owned by the church and used for exorcisms. The "House of Last Resort" was where the Vatican sent the hopelessly possessed, and the chapel was the site of desperate rituals. Tommy's own grandfather was once brought here as a boy, believed to be possessed, and the family's estrangement was a protective measure. The couple realizes they are entangled in a legacy of trauma, faith, and fear.

The Catacombs Below

Don Pino, the local priest, leads Tommy, Kate, and Marcello on a tour of the catacombs beneath the church. The tunnels are older than the church itself, filled with mummified bodies—some preserved by natural means, others by the hands of monks. A crack from the recent earthquake exposes a hidden section, and the group discovers a wall sealed with crosses, behind which the most dangerous dead were entombed. The catacombs' history is one of rivalry, secrecy, and the containment of evil.

The Imports and the Town's Future

Tommy and Kate befriend other "Imports"—foreigners who have bought cheap houses in Becchina. Together, they form a tourism board, hoping to revitalize the town by promoting its history and mysteries. Plans are made to open the catacombs to visitors, and the couple's home, with its dark reputation, is considered as a potential attraction. Yet, beneath the optimism, the house's past and the town's superstitions cast a long shadow.

The House of Last Resort

At a gathering of the Imports, the full story of the house is revealed: it was the Vatican's last stop for the incurably possessed, a place of failed exorcisms and secret burials. The chapel was a site of suffering, and the annex held cells for the afflicted. The revelation fractures the group, and Kate and Tommy are left to grapple with the knowledge that their home is a monument to pain and evil. The house's history is not just legend—it is a living wound.

Nightmares and Rats

Night brings new terrors: Kate sleepwalks, haunted by dreams of priests and rituals; Tommy is plagued by visions of rats behaving with unnatural intelligence. The house's atmosphere grows more oppressive, and the couple's relationship is strained by fear and doubt. The rats, once a nuisance, become a symbol of the evil lurking beneath the surface, and the couple realizes that the house is not just haunted by memories, but by something alive and hungry.

The Possessed and the Past

As Nonno's health fails, Kate witnesses a terrifying transformation—Tommy's grandfather, in a moment of lucidity, attacks her with unnatural strength and venomous words. The family's history of possession and exorcism is no longer just a story; it is a living threat. When Nonno dies, a rat is seen fleeing his body, and the sense that something has been released is palpable. The past is not dead—it is waiting to claim the next victim.

Earthquake Unleashed

A second, more powerful earthquake devastates Becchina, collapsing part of the house and opening a chasm into the hidden tomb beneath. Tommy is trapped and descends into the darkness, while Kate is attacked by Franca, the real estate agent revealed as a cultist serving the demon Alberith. The chaos above mirrors the chaos below, as the boundaries between the living and the dead, the natural and the supernatural, are shattered.

Descent into Darkness

Injured and desperate, Tommy navigates the secret catacombs, pursued by rats and haunted by the mummified dead. He discovers the tomb of the possessed, sealed by a wall of crosses, and realizes that the earthquake has broken the barrier. The rats are vessels for the demons, and Tommy is herded toward a confrontation with the evil that once inhabited his grandfather. Above, Kate and Marcello race to break through the wall and save him.

Demons Set Free

The wall collapses, releasing a swarm of rats and the spirits of the damned. Tommy is bitten and possessed by Alberith, the demon that haunted his family for generations. He is dragged from the tomb, but the evil within him is unleashed, infecting others and threatening to spread beyond the house. Kate, wounded and desperate, must confront the reality of possession and the limits of love and faith.

Exorcism and Sacrifice

In the ruined chapel, Kate, Marcello, and Don Pino attempt an exorcism as the ghosts of the old priests join the ritual. Tommy, trapped inside his own body, fights for control as the demon tries to claim him. In a moment of clarity, aided by Kate's love and the prayers of the exorcists, Tommy sacrifices himself—throwing his body from the broken house into the tomb below, trapping the demon with him and ending the cycle of possession.

Aftermath and Uncertain Hope

Tommy awakens, broken but alive, in his own bed, surrounded by Kate, Nonna, and Marcello. The house is being rebuilt, but the scars—physical, emotional, and spiritual—remain. The town is changed, the Imports scattered, and the future uncertain. Priests arrive to continue the exorcisms, and the house's legacy endures. Kate and Tommy are left to wonder if true healing is possible, or if the House of Last Resort will always be a place where evil waits for the desperate and the hopeful alike.

Characters

Tommy Puglisi

Tommy is a young American with Sicilian roots, seeking a new life with his wife, Kate, in the ancestral town of Becchina. Sensitive, introspective, and burdened by family trauma, Tommy is both drawn to and repelled by his heritage. His relationship with his parents—an emotionally distant father and a narcissistic mother—shapes his longing for connection and belonging. As the story unfolds, Tommy is forced to confront the darkness in his family's past, the reality of generational possession, and his own capacity for sacrifice. His psychological journey is one of grappling with inherited guilt, the limits of rationality, and the redemptive power of love.

Kate Puglisi

Kate is Tommy's wife, a pragmatic and independent woman who pushes for their move to Sicily in search of a simpler, more authentic life. She is haunted by her own family's dysfunction and struggles with anxiety and body image, but her resilience and wit are her strengths. Kate's skepticism is tested by the supernatural events in the house, and her loyalty to Tommy is unwavering even as she faces violence, betrayal, and the threat of losing him to possession. Her arc is one of confronting fear, embracing the unknown, and discovering the depth of her courage and love.

Nonna (Raffaella Puglisi)

Tommy's grandmother is a formidable presence—loving, superstitious, and fiercely protective. She embodies the old world's traditions and fears, and her warnings about the house are rooted in genuine terror. Nonna's complicity in the family's estrangement is revealed to be an act of protection, and her grief over her husband's decline is compounded by guilt and helplessness. She represents the weight of generational trauma and the limits of faith in the face of evil.

Nonno (Tommaso Puglisi Sr.)

Tommy's grandfather is a once-vibrant man now diminished by age and dementia. His past as a boy believed to be possessed, subjected to exorcism in the House of Last Resort, is the key to the family's curse. Nonno's efforts to protect his son and grandson from the demon within him are acts of love and desperation. His final moments, marked by violence and the release of the evil he contained, are both horrifying and pitiable—a man destroyed by forces beyond his control.

Franca Vitale

Franca is the real estate agent who sells Tommy and Kate their house, presenting herself as a helpful local but secretly serving the demon Alberith. Manipulative, intelligent, and fanatical, Franca orchestrates the couple's arrival and the events that lead to the demon's release. Her actions are driven by a twisted faith in the "darker angels," and her violence is both personal and ritualistic. She is the human face of the evil that haunts the house.

Marcello Casavola

Marcello is Tommy's distant cousin, a warm and gregarious man who helps the couple navigate the complexities of Sicilian life. He is loyal, practical, and increasingly drawn into the supernatural events as they unfold. Marcello's role as translator, mediator, and protector is crucial, and his own skepticism is eroded by the horrors he witnesses. He represents the possibility of family as chosen, not just inherited.

Don Pino Ruffini

The local priest, Don Pino, is a man of faith but not of action, more comfortable with tradition than confrontation. He is burdened by the secrets of the church and the legacy of the exorcists who came before him. When forced to confront the reality of possession, he participates in the final exorcism, embodying both the limitations and the necessity of faith in the face of evil.

Rohaan Tariq

Rohaan is a British-Indian newcomer to Becchina, married to Patrick, and one of the "Imports" who hopes to help revitalize the town. Intelligent, open-minded, and skeptical, Rohaan becomes a confidant to Kate and a witness to the supernatural events. His outsider status allows him to see the town's dynamics with clarity, and his injury in the earthquake underscores the vulnerability of all who come to Becchina seeking a new life.

The Rats

The rats are more than vermin; they are the eyes and agents of the demons trapped beneath the house. Their unnatural behavior, intelligence, and presence in key moments signal the encroachment of the supernatural into the mundane. They serve as both a symbol and a literal means by which evil spreads, culminating in the possession and violence that threaten to consume the town.

The Ghosts of the Exorcists

The spirits of the priests who once performed exorcisms in the house remain as flickering presences, visible to Kate and, in moments of crisis, to Tommy. Their prayers and rituals are both a comfort and a reminder of the limits of human power against evil. In the final confrontation, their intervention is crucial, representing the possibility of redemption and the enduring struggle between darkness and light.

Plot Devices

Generational Trauma and Inherited Evil

The novel uses the motif of generational trauma—both emotional and supernatural—to explore how the past shapes the present. The possession that afflicts Tommy's grandfather and threatens Tommy himself is both a literal demon and a metaphor for the burdens families pass down. The estrangement, secrecy, and attempts at protection are mirrored in the supernatural plot, blurring the line between psychological and paranormal horror.

Locked Rooms and Hidden Histories

The house's locked doors, hidden chapel, and secret catacombs serve as both literal obstacles and metaphors for the secrets that haunt families and communities. The process of unlocking, discovering, and confronting these spaces parallels the characters' journey toward understanding and reckoning with the past.

Rats as Omens and Agents

The recurring presence of rats is a classic horror device, but here they are elevated to supernatural agents—vessels for the demons, harbingers of disaster, and a physical manifestation of the corruption beneath the surface. Their behavior foreshadows key events and signals the escalation of supernatural threat.

Earthquakes as Catalysts

The earthquakes that bookend the story are both plot catalysts and symbols of the instability beneath the town and the characters' lives. The first quake foreshadows the disruption to come; the second literally opens the tomb, unleashing the evil that has been contained. The blending of natural and supernatural disaster heightens the sense of inevitability and doom.

Exorcism and Ritual

The rituals of exorcism, both historical and contemporary, structure the narrative's climax and serve as a crucible for the characters' beliefs. The ghosts of the exorcists, the prayers, and the final sacrifice all interrogate the power and limitations of faith, tradition, and love in the face of evil.

Outsiders and Community

The "Imports" represent the hope for renewal and the challenges of integration in a dying town. Their outsider status allows for fresh perspectives but also exposes them to the dangers and secrets the locals would rather keep buried. The interplay between insiders and outsiders drives much of the social and psychological tension.

Analysis

Christopher Golden's The House of Last Resort is a modern gothic horror that uses the haunted house trope to explore the intersection of personal trauma, generational curses, and the inescapable weight of history. The novel's central metaphor—the house as both sanctuary and prison—reflects the characters' struggle to build a new life while being stalked by the ghosts of the past, both literal and figurative. Golden deftly weaves together psychological realism and supernatural terror, using the slow unraveling of secrets, the claustrophobia of small-town life, and the eruption of violence to interrogate the limits of rationality, the persistence of evil, and the redemptive (but not always victorious) power of love and community. The story's structure—moving from hope and renewal to horror and sacrifice—mirrors the emotional arc of its protagonists, and the unresolved ending suggests that some wounds, both personal and collective, may never fully heal. Ultimately, the novel warns that the past cannot be escaped or ignored; it must be confronted, even at great cost, if there is to be any hope for the future.

Last updated: September 18, 2025