Book Review: Ghosts and Haunts of Tennessee

Tennessee has some of the best ghost stories I have ever heard.  As an Alabama girl,  I'm often jealous of the state just North of me.  It is so rich in folklore and ghostly tales that it makes the rest of us look poor.  The Belle Witch alone could and has filled entire books with her witchly horror.This is why I was thrilled to read Christopher K. Coleman's Ghosts and Haunts of Tennessee.   There are a lot of books about the ghosts of Tennessee and the Tennessee Valley.   This book stood apart to me in the way it was laid out.  As a paranormal explorer, I love to travel to and visit the locations I read about in books.  Some collections of ghost stories make this almost impossible to do.  They don't give detailed locations so there is no way to find the haunted location and visit it yourself.  This deficit in so many books makes me sad.  Coleman gives addresses and locations for every haunted spot he describes making this a paranormal tourist's dream.

Ghosts and Haunts of Tennessee is more than a guidebook, however.  It is also a fun collection of folklore and Southern superstition.   My favorite chapter is called Mountain Witches.  It traces the origins of Tennessee's mountain witches back to Celtic lands and into the mountains of Tennessee.  It lists many old charms to be used as protections against enchantment.  These might include putting a dime in your shoe, laying a broom across the threshold of your home, and spreading salt around your home.   The book also explores the numerous mysterious monsters and beasties that wander Tennessee.   It discusses my favorite beastie, old green eyes, and many other mysterious creatures.   Ghost and Haunts of Tennessee is a fun collection of ghosts and folklore for any Southerner, especially those of us who live close enough to go find some of Coleman's haunts.