A Haunted History of Invisible Women

 

 I received a copy of this release from the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Title: The Haunted History of Invisible Women 

Author: Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes

Publisher: Kensington Citadel Press

Release Date: 9.27.22

Publisher’s Summary 

From the notorious Lizzie Borden to the innumerable, haunted rooms of Sarah Winchester's mysterious mansionthis offbeat, insightful, first-ever book of its kind 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, like New Orleans voodoo priestess Marie Laveau, and 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.

My Review

I love feminist theory and reading dissertation-like analyses of subjects through a feminist lens. That being said, not everyone loves that type of reading and therefore may not enjoy this book. Far beyond a collection of ghost stories with female subjects, A Haunted History of Invisible Women dives into power dynamics, personal agency, and the marginalization of women. Divided into 6 parts (Death and the Maiden; "Witches"; Mothers and Wives; Bad Girls, Jezebels, and Killer Women; "Madwomen"; and Spinsters and Widows) each section has an introduction plus 3-4 stories. This book isn't a spooky collection in the traditional sense, but rather a smart look at how and why these stories hold such power in American lore.