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Billie's Ghost [Paperback]

Chad Hautmann (Author)
4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)

Price: $13.00 & eligible for FREE Super Saver Shipping on orders over $25. Details
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Book Description

October 26, 2004
It’s been a year since Casey’s wife died, leaving him the youngest widower in Naples, Florida, and in the throes of a seemingly bottomless depression. Now Casey lives only at night, stuck in his once cozy home, drinking himself blind and listening to the sounds of Ellington, Coltrane, and Davis. Casey’s friends and family have just about given up on him, and he’s certainly given up on himself. That is, until Billie Holiday—or someone who looks just like her—finds her way into his life.

Maybe he’s been listening to too much jazz, and he’s definitely been hitting the bottle, but there’s no mistaking that beautiful, had-some-tough-times voice. She calls herself Eleanora, and what everyone else sees as an imaginary friend, Casey sees as the only thing that can bring him solace. And by the grace of this strange and wonderful woman, he receives something he’s yearned for every waking moment: a chance to spend one last night with his wife, and to overcome the crushing guilt he’s felt since the day she left him.


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Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Casey Cooper, who narrates this maudlin first novel, hasn't worked in the year since his wife, Virginia, died. He's been living off life insurance, savings and pity checks from his in-laws and has carved out a hermitic life: he sleeps most of the day, wakes up late and spends his nights sitting in his backyard by the pool, drinking beer and listening to jazz—mostly Billie Holiday. So imagine his surprise when a hard-drinking nomadic jazz singer who looks and sounds just like Billie Holiday and who calls herself Eleanora materializes in his spare bedroom one night. In short order, Eleanora has Casey out of the house—shopping, canoeing at a nature preserve (where Eleanora falls into the water but doesn't get wet) and, eventually, heading to Miami, where she rescues Casey from a mugger. When Casey isn't being acted upon or transfixed by Eleanora, he retreats into soft-focus memories of Virginia. The drama (such as it is) reaches its height after a small fire Eleanora accidentally starts in the spare bedroom leads to a nearly fatal case of smoke poisoning for Casey's cat, Mashed Potatoes. Eleanora breathes new life into the cat by singing to it. More a whimsical reflection on learning to deal with grief than a novel, this is an occasionally touching but generally lackluster first outing for Hautmann.
Copyright © Reed Business Information, a division of Reed Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Review

"...hard to put down. South Florida provides perfect backdrop for the transformation that Casey undergoes, thanks to his mysterious visitor." -- Ray McNally, Bloomberg Radio, New York

"...quirky, stylishly written. Hautmann has conjured up a spirit so sweet, sassy and seductive, you'll want to believe." -- Hilary Winter, Times of Trenton

"...tightly written fast paced, engaging and very moving novel, a tribute to love, life and good jazz." -- Magdalena Ball, The Compulsive Reader: A Haven for Book Lovers --This text refers to an alternate Paperback edition.

Product Details

  • Paperback: 176 pages
  • Publisher: Plume (October 26, 2004)
  • Language: English
  • ISBN-10: 0452284813
  • ISBN-13: 978-0452284814
  • Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.3 x 0.4 inches
  • Shipping Weight: 4.8 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
  • Average Customer Review: 4.8 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
  • Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,044,742 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Chad Hautmann is the author of BILLIE'S GHOST (Penguin, 2004) and MAGIC AND GRACE (Fingerpress, London, 2011). He was born in St. Louis, MO, and is a graduate of the master's program in creative writing at Florida State University. Chad lives in Florida with his wife and two children.

 

Customer Reviews

5 Reviews
5 star:
 (4)
4 star:
 (1)
3 star:    (0)
2 star:    (0)
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Average Customer Review
4.8 out of 5 stars (5 customer reviews)
 
 
 
 
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews

5 of 5 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars Become Haunted by Eleanora!, February 13, 2003
By 
Island Girl "hracegtp44" (Naples, Florida United States) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Billie's Ghost (Paperback)
"Billie's Ghost" is a whopper of a love story, ghost tale, and mystery all wrapped up in a deceptively small package. Enter the tropical paradise of Naples, Florida, a Gulf of Mexico resort blending old, historic bungalows and fabulous high-rises. A young widower is struggling with his grief, virtually sinking into oblivion, when Eleanora appears, a sultry, salty, hard-drinking, beautiful black woman. Discover how she changes the life of this man forever and decide for yourself if she is real or not! You will be fascinated by her humor, allure, and compassion. Immerse yourself in the atmosphere of ravishing southwest Florida, a region engaged in its own struggle to balance the conservation of wildlife habitats and the preservation of its history, against a burgeoning population. At the conclusion, you will rejoice and chuckle, and always wonder!
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4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars simplistic yet deep tale, October 27, 2004
This review is from: Billie's Ghost (Paperback)
In Naples, Florida, one year has passed since young Casey Cooper lost his beloved wife Ginny. Stunned and feeling guilt for living and culpability in his mind for causing her death, he remains in mourning as an urban hermit with only alcohol and jazz as his companions. His friends have written Casey off and his family is on the verge of excommunicating him as his depression overwhelms anyone who dares to enter his personal space. Only Ginny's cat Mashed Potatoes remains a companion though he often forgets to feed the feline.

Suddenly out of nowhere Eleanora enters Casey's life singing with a voice and a look that make her an identical twin of Billie Holiday. No one else sees this enigmatic Eleanora with even Casey wondering if it is the bottle, his mental state, BILLIE'S GHOST or a real person? Still Casey does not care as Eleanora with the jazzy voice moves in with him. She provides him with a reason to rejoin the living as she boosts his self esteem.

This is a very simplistic yet deep tale that provides several messages to the audience to include accentuating the positive in relationships because though mankind imposes but God disposes without warning and grieving is exclusively a lone act. The three key players, Casey, his deceased wife, and Eleanora are cleverly designed to provide insight into how far someone can fall when a loved one is lost early and abruptly in life and that grieving and recover are customized within a powerful character study.

Harriet Klausner
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3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars Very Interesting, August 23, 2005
By 
This review is from: Billie's Ghost (Paperback)
I enjoyed this novel very much. It was sad, or more accurately, melancholy like a John Coltrane song. But don't let that statement mislead you. It was well written and enjoyable. Mr. Haughton delivers a tale that is as unique as it is engaging. I will anxiously await his next novel.
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Inside This Book (learn more)
First Sentence:
When I was five years old, an older cousin told me that if you swallowed while you were lying down, you would die. Read the first page
Key Phrases - Statistically Improbable Phrases (SIPs): (learn more)
owl house, gathering room, knit cap, barred owl
Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Mashed Potatoes, Goodman Hardin, Billie Holiday, Big Macs, Jim Beam, Jason Foster
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