Book Review: 50 Real American Ghost Stories by MJ Wayland (2023)

Synopsis: This non-fiction book covers documented ghost stories from the 19th century United States, including a number of stories never shared before.

Review: I checked out another book from the library but lost interest in it after only about a chapter. Fortunately, my wife gave me a couple alternatives as Christmas presents, including 50 Real American Ghost Stories. I ended up reading this book instead as a result and, overall, thought it was a good choice.

The book provides a solid selection of stories that, while all from the same century and, of course, the same country, offer quite a bit of variety. There are ghost stories that feature just one person seeing the spirit, ghost stories that were witnessed by multiple people and even a few hoaxes mixed in. As promised, the stories tell us about as much about American history and culture as anything else.

I also liked how the author used first-hand accounts and articles of the events, adding some legitimacy to the stories that is lacking in a lot of similar books. While I'll stop short of saying the book provided proof of ghosts, it still went a long way toward showing how impactful some of those events were, especially the ones that were covered in the local newspapers.

I did think there were a few stories that were a little lacking in that regard, however. Some, like the one entitled "The Bride of the Ghost" seemed a bit farfetched, even for a book of this kind and maybe could have used something a bit more than a second-hand re-telling of a story that may or may not have happened. Even then, I'd give stories like that some points from an entertainment standpoint, which is the main reason I think anyone would read this book in the first place.

Final Opinion: This is an easy-to-read book that covers a small part of American history but manages to be entertaining and informative. I'd recommend taking the time to read it if you get a chance.

My Grade: A

__________________________________________________________________________

Here are links to other book reviews: 

Book Review: That Librarian: The Fight Against Book Banning in America by Amanda Jones (2024)

Book Review: The Haunting of Hill House by Shirley Jackson (1959)

Book Review: Postcards From the Edge by Carrie Fisher (1987)