A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts - A Review

 Review

A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN: TRUE STORIES OF AMERICA'S GHOSTS
By Leanna Renee Hieber & Andrea Janes

A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN: TRUE STORIES OF AMERICA'S GHOSTS looks at the history behind many female ghosts and hauntings throughout the United States. Broken down into various tropes, each section begins with an introduction before branching into stories of the women who fall within the purview of said category. Highly researched, but with the authors' own opinions willingly shared, the book is part ghost story, part folklore, part history, and part women's studies. 

If you're looking for spooky stories to tell around the campfire or to scare your friends, this may not be the book for you. However, if you're looking for interesting tales about real people who have a haunted history, this book may be right up your alley. I always enjoy learning the true history behind real hauntings and enjoyed reading about the women here, some I knew about, many I did not.

While I enjoyed reading about these ghostly women, I do have some issues with the book. The problem is that the authors fall into a common trap. They look at the lives of these women of the 18th, 19th, and even the 20th century, through the lens of a woman of modern times. Yes, these women from the past had hard lives, some hated the limitations placed on them, but others didn't see life as a drudgery. You simply can't frame the past with the eyes of the present, which is what the authors do here.

While the book is undeniably well researched with footnotes and endnotes to prove it, I discovered one major inaccuracy. In one section they discuss Mother Ann Lee and the Shakers. It concludes saying that their numbers dwindled and they faded away. While it's true that the number of Shakers dwindled and may have faded, they have not faded away. There is still a functioning Shaker community in Sabbathday Lake, Maine. It's true that there are only two members of the United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Coming-but they are still here.

 

A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN: TRUE STORIES OF AMERICA'S GHOSTS is an intriguing book filled with stories of women who deserve to be remembered.