Customer Reviews

Mariah of the Spirits: And Other Southern Ghost Stories

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The stories in this book really drew me in making me want to read the book again. Some of the stories reminded me of the old Twilight Zone series. Others are actually very spiritual, and two of them, the ones that take place in the Appalachian mountains, actually made me feel better about death. The title story "Mariah of the Spirits" has multi-levels-- an interesting twist on the phantom hitchhiker legend for one--though the allusions to Biblical figures such as Mary, Jesus and Moses might be lost on those who are Biblically illiterate. "Angel Unawares," is one of several brain knotter/teasers, and right spooky. "The Dressmaker's Mannequin" is a whimsical story, more of a wonder tale that makes belief in tree spirits seem almost plausible. Titles like "At the Clothesline," "Strange Things Happen," and "Lost Soul" give you a hint of the flavor of these stories as does the author's picture on her website where she is shown standing in an old graveyard, beside a Celtic cross with its many possible meanings.

The reviewer who compared these stories to Rod Serling's Twilight Zone was right on the mark, although I would add that they resemble the BEST of that series. They also bring to mind the classic show "One Step Beyond." Most of the tales are ghost stories, but others are about subjects as varied as tree spirits and angels. Some of the stories have unpredictable, often puzzling, O. Henry endings. There is an amazing variety: the stories range from poignant to whimisical, though all have an overall point, and all are thought-provoking in one way or another. Wherever the stories are set-- the Southern Appalachian mountains, the Carolina coast, or the old plantation-era South-- the author conveys the geography, the mood, the atmosphere of the place with amazing feeling. She "puts you there." Most people I have talked to who have read it say the same thing---that they either have read it a second time, or plan to. This author captures the mood of the borderland "between light and shadow, between science and superstition" unlike any other I have read.

Mariah is fun to read, in the same way that X-Files is fun to watch. The stories have unexpected endings and range from haunting to humorous. Nonetheless, the stories are literature. There is meat (biblical allusions, foreshadowing, irony, etc.) enough to keep English teachers feasting for hours. Plus, lots of the stories take place locally, and my students found that a plus.

I have to say that I did not think I would like this book. But I was very wrong. I received it in the mail at 4:00 p.m. and had read it all the way through by 11:00 p.m. You have to read it very carefully. Several stories are about people who die and don't know it. The author is very skilled at making you feel they way they do. You're reading and suddenly you say. "Wait, is this person dead?" And then you go back and find the point where it happened. It's not a long book and really not very scary. But it is a book for people who admire the art of story telling.

This is the first book I've read by Sherry Austin. I try to read a lot of the authentic old-style Southern writing, done by regional authors, not by someone from New Hampshire imitating Southerners. I was really pleased to read this book and I believe the author deserves all the accolades she has received.

The author of Mariah of the Spirits pulls me instantly into the settings, the coast, the mountains, the towns... The mood resonates the tones of the oral storyteller. I HEAR her telling me the tale. The storyteller is in the rocker on the corner of my porch, and I would be able to see her but for the candles between us. I thank her for her art.