In the fall of 1893, a man named Jules Wallace arrived in St. Louis claiming he could summon the dead. Within weeks, he was drawing packed crowds, performing séances in darkened theaters, and making headlines across the city. Now, more than 130 years later, Wallace’s incredible true story is being brought back to life in the new novel The Great Life Reader by author and historian Allen Sircy.
“Jules Wallace wasn’t just a character—he was a real man who fascinated this city,” Sircy said. “He came to St. Louis at a time when people were desperate for answers, and he gave them something they couldn’t explain.”
The Great Life Reader is a richly detailed work of historical fiction based on documented events. It follows Wallace’s arrival during the height of the American spiritualism movement, his rise as a public figure, and the electrifying séance he conducted at the Hagan Opera House—a performance that was called “ONE OF THE MOST FASCINATING SPECTACLES EVER SEEN IN ST. LOUIS” by a local newspaper.
Rather than portraying Wallace as a fraud or hero, Sircy lets readers step into the world of 1890s St. Louis and decide for themselves. Using archival newspapers, public records, and spiritualist accounts, the novel recreates the atmosphere of a city caught between mourning and modernity—where belief and doubt collided under the flicker of gaslight.
From séance halls to newspaper offices, The Great Life Reader transports readers to a forgotten chapter in St. Louis history—one rooted in fact, mystery, and the unshakable human need to believe.
The book is already generating buzz among true crime buffs, paranormal historians, and fans of Missouri’s hidden history.
The Great Life Reader is available now in paperback and eBook through Amazon, Barnes & Noble, and independent bookstores.
