The Ghostway by Tony Hillerman
When an elder on the Navaho reservation witnesses a shootout, one of the gunmen dies in his hogan. According to the Navajo way his chindi (ghost) is trapped within the hogan, and earth covered structure. The hogan is sealed and a wall broken out so the occupant escapes. No one is to enter until a cleansing ritual is performed to set the ghost free. Tribal policeman, Jim Chee, is on the case to solve a murder and calm the spirits on the reservation. Performing the Ghostway sets the person who was in the hogan earth back into balance.
A Bridge Across the Ocean by Susan Meissner
This historical fiction novel intertwines the lives of three women: Annalise Lange, a German ballerina escaping a Nazi past; Simone Deveraux, the daughter of a French resistance fighter; and Brette Caslake, a modern-day woman with the ability to see and communicate with ghosts. The story unfolds on the RMS Queen Mary, where Annalise and Simone are war brides traveling to America, and Brette is drawn into their story through a spectral encounter. The novel explores themes of secrets, loss, and the enduring impact of war, while also delving into the historical paranormal aspects of the Queen Mary’s.
The Graveyard Book by Neil Gaiman
When a toddler is left orphaned by a horrible murder of his family and wanders into a graveyard, the ghosts hanging around their last earthly resting place decide they must raise the infant. But first the child needs a name. They decide to name him Nobody Owens and call him Bod. As long as Bod stays in the graveyard, he is safe. But if he ventures out, he risks being hunted and killed by the same murderers that killed his family. But he can’t stay in the graveyard forever, can he?
This brought up a discussion about whether we believed in ghosts. If not, what causes things that go bump in the night. You cannot feel a ghost, they can walk through walls, but why do we feel cold, what makes curtains shake?
They show up to those who believe in them? What is that glowing orb in the yard?
Beneath the Veil of Smoke and Ashes by Tammy Pasterick
It’s Pittsburgh, 1910, the golden age of steel in the land of opportunity. Eastern European immigrants Janos and Karina Kovac should be prospering, but their American dream is fading fast. The challenges they face to keep their family fed and housed are crushing and endless. Under these conditions, Karina begins to unravel. Janos must rebuild his shattered family with the help of an unlikely ally. Our reader is hoping for a sequel.
The Comfort of Ghosts by Jaqueline Winspear
This is the final book in the Maisie Dobbs series of historical fiction set primarily in England and spanning from just prior to the start of WWI to the near end of WWII. The ghosts that Maisie encounters are not spirits but memories. All the people that she knew and loved, all the adventures in life she experienced, are welcome ghosts. This book wraps up the series in a very comforting way.
Our next meeting takes place September 9, at 10:30 a.m. The topic is a book set in another country
—Fran Strauser
Subject Ghosts