The Haunted South: Where Ghosts Still Roam by Nancy Roberts

 

Reviewed by Jeanne

Some of my fondest memories are about sitting and listening to ghost stories told by family members, usually during thunderstorms—and especially when the lights went out.  These weren’t “jump-scare” stories like “I Want My Big Toe” but local ghost stories and I lapped them up.

Nancy Roberts collected stories like the ones I heard.  She did storytelling programs and   was the author of over a dozen books, mostly ghost stories of various regions: she lived in North Carolina, so there are several set in the Appalachian region or in the South. There’s a bit of a folklore feel to the stories, which I also find appealing.

This particular book was originally published in 1971 and has been reprinted numerous times.  It has 14 stories set in various locations, including West Virginia, Alabama, and South Carolina.  There are the “Little People” of Cherokee lore, a phantom train wreck, and of course, a Gray Lady, but somehow I found these retellings to be more interesting than many I’ve read—possibly because Roberts was a storyteller herself. She also gives a bit more context to some of the stories.  She also isn’t trying to either scare or convince the reader:  she is simply telling what happened.  That also reminded me of our family ghost stories: as my mother used to say, the supernatural was just a part of life.

Although they were all good, I did have a couple of favorites.  One was “The Demon of Wizard Clip,” which is about a dying man’s last wish and the consequences when he doesn’t get it.  I did a quick search and found several references to the story, all of which jibe with Roberts’ retelling. There are historical records as well.  Another favorite was “The Grey Lady,” which is of a French ghost who followed her family to South Carolina.  There’s a photo of the house she was said to haunt, even after it was turned into an inn.  Alas, it was torn down in the 1960s.

If you are in the mood for some ghostly tales, any title by Nancy Roberts is a pretty good bet.  The stories are brief, good for dipping into for a few minutes and then picking up again.