Goosebumps and shivers

Haunted Homeland
Copyright 2006 by Michael Norman
A Forge Book
Published by Tom Doherty Associates LLC New York
ISBN 13-978-0-765-30172-7
448 PP
$17.95 Hardcover

Over the past twelve years of doing paranormal research, I've read a large volume of books, and as a result have a rather extensive collection covering cities and towns, states and countries from Europe to the US. Some are truly standouts with well done research, plausible suggestions for the cause, first hand accounts from the people involved and in some cases actual field experimentation and results and well written and readable. Others I'm sad to say miss their mark and turn out to be nothing more than campfire ghost tales designed more to entertain, than to enlighten and educate and where unsubstantiated legend is presented as bald faced fact without the research to back it up.

Together with the late Beth Scott, with whom he worked on the first five volumes of the Haunted America series, Michael Norman is among the category of standouts. Haunted Homeland is a well crafted collection of tales and legends from across the U.S and Canada that show off not only his writing talent, but also what well done research can do to make a good story. But what also I liked is that Mr. Norman is up front with the reader when it comes discerning between fact and fiction. If a story is more urban or local legend that can't be substantiated, he makes it clear. He also doesn't just cover one aspect, but in some chapters gives the reader several versions of the same tale and allows them to figure out for themselves if the story may have some truth to it.

Case in point is Chapter 12 entitled "A Weeping Woman", which covers the legend of La Llorona, a prominent ghost from the New Mexico region. Most accounts of her state that she is the ghost of a woman who drowned her children after a failed love affair such as the modern day case of Susan Smith in 1994. In the Weeping Woman, we, the reader are given not only the basis for this classic ghost tale, but several versions of it, and the facts of the case behind it as well, which makes for interesting reading. Just the opening alone about Susan Smith, was enough to creep me out.

What also makes this a good ghost read are first hand accounts. In Chapter 11, we're introduced to the ethereal resident of a house from Gulfport, Mississippi in the story called "Find my Bones". Not only does it begin with a good start, which then segues into the history of the dwelling we're also introduced the people that lived and resided in the house and their experiences in the late 1950's and early 1960's. In the case the activity went beyond the normal muffled voices and eerie footsteps and included a few cases of near arson.

Overall, this is one of the better paranormal books I've come across and it's just as good as the first five in the series. So if a good, chilling tale is something you are in the mood for, then this book provides it. It's especially good after dark with the reading light on low.