I did not choose 5 stars for this book because of the writing...it was fine...but because of what I discovered about my own family history through reading it. I am electrified to learn that a 2nd cousin 2x removed is active despite his death in 1952! There were other tidbits as well...including the vampire to consumption link right at the time when at least one ancestor passed from this horrible disease. If you have ties to Maine do read this book! ( )

Read: 6.20.09

Synopsis: Verde writes about 26 encounters with the supernatural throughout homes, inns, islands, and rivers in Maine. He interviewed people who interacted with the spirits or obtained information from newspaper articles. Some of the memorable tales include the 3 ghosts that haunt my former college campus - University of Maine at Farmington - (two of the dorms are haunted and famous opera singer Lillian Nordica haunts the Auditorium). There is also the legend that the Saco River is cursed by a Native American chief and that the Isles of Shoals have their own haunts.

None of the accounts are extremely horrifying or will leave me with nightmares. The book was published in 1989 - so a bit outdated. I know that their are other haunted places in Farmington that were not mentioned. It is definitely an interesting read and I especially liked that tales that I was able to relate to - knowing where the house or buildings are located. ( )

The first few stories in the "Ghost Legends" section were not very good. I almost gave up on the book after the first couple of stories. Starting with the "Haunted Houses" heading, though, the rest of the book was pretty interesting. ( )

Nothing here is too terrifying and certainly nothing that would give anyone nightmares. However, the descriptions are interesting and very matter of fact. ( )