A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts
"Deliciously eerie.” —Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind “Boroughs of the Dead,” featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us . . .
 
Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful . . .
 
Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.
 
Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.
 
Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison

“An absolute must-buy for the spooky people of the world . . . utterly brilliant.” —Mallory O'Meara, bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon and Girly Drinks

“If this book doesn’t leave with you a sense of wonder and a healthy dose of goosebumps, check your pulse—you may already be among the spirits.” —Marc Hartzman, author of Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural
1140573014
A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts
"Deliciously eerie.” —Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind “Boroughs of the Dead,” featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us . . .
 
Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful . . .
 
Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.
 
Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.
 
Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison

“An absolute must-buy for the spooky people of the world . . . utterly brilliant.” —Mallory O'Meara, bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon and Girly Drinks

“If this book doesn’t leave with you a sense of wonder and a healthy dose of goosebumps, check your pulse—you may already be among the spirits.” —Marc Hartzman, author of Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural
10.99 In Stock
A Haunted History of Invisible Women: True Stories of America's Ghosts

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

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

by Leanna Renee Hieber, Andrea Janes

eBook

$10.99  $14.41 Save 24% Current price is $10.99, Original price is $14.41. You Save 24%.

Available on Compatible NOOK devices, the free NOOK App and in My Digital Library.
WANT A NOOK?  Explore Now

Related collections and offers

LEND ME® See Details

Overview

"Deliciously eerie.” —Leslie Rule, Bestselling Author

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansion this offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind from the brilliant guides behind “Boroughs of the Dead,” featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, and Jezebel, explores the history behind America’s female ghosts, the stereotypes, myths, and paranormal tales that swirl around them, what their stories reveal about us—and why they haunt us . . .
 
Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America’s female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful . . .
 
Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America’s most famous female ghosts, from ‘Mrs. Spencer’ who haunted Joan Rivers’ New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era’s fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire —achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.
 
Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.
 
Afterword by Bram Stoker Award-winning author Linda D. Addison

“An absolute must-buy for the spooky people of the world . . . utterly brilliant.” —Mallory O'Meara, bestselling author of The Lady from the Black Lagoon and Girly Drinks

“If this book doesn’t leave with you a sense of wonder and a healthy dose of goosebumps, check your pulse—you may already be among the spirits.” —Marc Hartzman, author of Chasing Ghosts: A Tour of Our Fascination with Spirits and the Supernatural

Product Details

ISBN-13: 9780806541594
Publisher: Kensington
Publication date: 09/27/2022
Sold by: Barnes & Noble
Format: eBook
Pages: 368
File size: 2 MB

About the Author

Actress, playwright and author Leanna Renee Hieber is the award-winning, bestselling writer of gothic Victorian fantasy novels for adults and teens. Her novels such as the Strangely Beautiful saga, and the Eterna Files series have garnered numerous regional genre awards, including four Prism awards, and have been selected as "Indie Next" and national book club picks. She lives in New York City where she is a licensed ghost tour guide and has been featured in film and television shows like Boardwalk Empire. Follow her on Twitter@leannarenee, or visit www.leannareneehieber.com.
Andrea Janes is the Founder and owner of Boroughs of the Dead, New York City's premier ghost tour company, which has been featured on NPR.org, The New York Times, Jezebel, TODAY, The Huffington Post, Gothamist,The Travel Channel, CondeNast Traveler, Mashable, among others. Andrea is also the author of the YA novel Glamour, and several short horror stories, and a fiction horror novel Boroughs of the Dead, the inspiration for her company. More at www.boroughsofthedead.com
 

Table of Contents

Introductions

Women, Death, and Ghosts Andrea Janes 3

Existential Questions Leanna Renee Hieber 8

Part 1 Death and the Maiden

Introduction 17

Industrial Monsters: Ghosts of the Triangle Shirtwaist Factory, New York, New York 23

The Beautiful Stranger: Kate Morgan and the Hotel del Coronado, San Diego, California 34

Dark Academia: Ghosts of College Campuses 43

Forever, Maritana: The Ghosts of the Don CeSar Hotel, St. Petersburg Beach, Florida 54

Part 2 "Witches"

Introduction 63

A Red Paragon Bodice: Bridget Bishop, Salem, Massachusetts 68

Tugging at Your Hem: Dorothy Good, Salem, Massachusetts 77

Our Family Trouble: The Bell Witch, Adams, Tennessee 84

Graveyard Dance: The Witch's Curse, Bucksport, Maine 96

Part 3 Mothers and Wives

Introduction 107

Still Captaining Her Ship: The Ghost of Ma Greene, Cincinnati, Ohio 113

Mama Tried 120

The Everlasting Faint: The Ghostly Wives of West Virginia 131

The Lady of the House: Eliza Jumel, New York, New York 141

Part 4 Bad Girls, Jezebels, and Killer Women

Introduction 153

American Succubi: Soiled Doves of the Frontier 164

Conspirator to an Assassination: The Ghost of Mary Surrart, Washington, DC 177

The Haunting of Lizzie Borden, Fall River, Massachusetts 188

Part 5 "Madwomen"

Introduction 209

An Unreliable Narrator: Jan Bryant Bartell, New York, New York 213

Unfinished Business: The Winchester Mystery House, San Jose, California 222

A Correct History of the Life and Adventures of the Wandering Woman, Central New York 241

Part 6 Spinsters and Widows

Introduction 253

Miss Tredwell Is at Home, New York, New York 258

From Mother Ann to Sybil: The Spirits of the Great Burned-Over, Upstate New York 269

The Widow and Mrs. Spencer, New York, New York 276

Part 7 Frauds, Fakes, and Mythmaking

Introduction 289

The Prestige of Katie King, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 294

Willing the Ghosts to Life: Molly and Matilda of the Sorrel Weed House, Savannah, Georgia 304

The Mythmaking of Marie Rogêt, Hohoken, New Jersey 315

"Afterward": Sticks and Stones Linda D. Addison 320

Acknowledgments 325

Selected Bibliography 329

Notes 337

From the B&N Reads Blog

Customer Reviews