Haunted America

Author: Beth Scott & Michael Norman
Stars: 5
Review by: MandyApgar
Along with Ramsland's "Ghost," this is only one of 2 books I think are good enough to recommend to others after nearly 30 years of personal study and experience. Norman and the late Ms. Scott (who passed in the final stages of production) spent years combing each state and the Canadian provinces for allegedly true paranormal encounters, and they recount those tales with a respect very often not found in such books. Instead of being portrayed as ill educated, hillbilly, drunk, or what have you, the persons involved are treated with the utmost respect and care. A lively writing style covers a wide variety of hauntings: from the historic era to recent times, many of which carry several witnesses. There is still a "do you believe?" attitude towards the tales but that is needed as so much is unknown in each event. From the country's most prolific serial killer (a woman nonetheless) in New Orleans, various founding fathers and statesmen, patriots and pirates, Hawaiian royalty, even our own home grown Jersey Devil have a place here. The largest section covers Wisconsin, on a haunting some 20 odd years ago concerning a young family whose dream house turned into a proverbial nightmare. At the time I first bought this book I was attending school with an individual who as it turned out not only lived on the same street at the time, but knew the family. Monica said that the book's recount of the haunting was the most accurate she had ever read. Very highly recommended if you are so inclined to look at it. The authors' other works, Historic Haunted America and Haunted Heartland are not nearly as good.