|
|
 |
| Volume 5, Issue 12, December 2006 |
| Book Review: "Ghosts of the Southern Tennessee Valley" by Georgiana Kotarski John F. Blair – Paperback - $10.95 – 217 pages |
| (Your response goes here.) Write a letter to the editor: Holler@capcityfreepress.com Just include your full name, and city/county, state and/or country from which you are writing. (Your email address will NOT be posted with your letter.) |
| Copyright © Capital City Free Press - Use of Capcityfreepress.com and its related sites signifies your agreement to the terms of service. |
 |
| Joseph O. Patton Editor and Publisher Capital City Free Press From a notorious con man to Civil War icons, Georgiana Kotarski's "Ghosts of the Southern Tennessee Valley" contains a wealth of chilling ghost tales and even some that will make you smile. From publisher John F. Blair, Kotarski's tales - which are easygoing and exhibit her genuine knack for storytelling - are gleaned from the history-rich area of the Southern Tennessee Valley, which includes North Alabama. The book came to life after she produced an article on the subject of ghosts for the magazine Chattanooga Life & Leisure. A few tales stand out (as will the hairs on the back of your neck) and deserve special mention. A former riverboat captain continues her duties even after death in "Mary Greene of the Delata Queen." In "Night Drummers," Kotarski shares the story of Confederate soldiers who fill the night with the strains of drums and cannon fire on the anniversary of a battle. In one tale, a participant receives friendly messages from an entity through her typwriter. Closer to home, unsuspected visitors encounter a child who only wishes to play with someone in a Stevenson, Ala cemetery. In Pisgah, Ala., a soldier who was killed returns home nonetheless as a gesture of comfort to his grandmother. Kotarski heightens the enjoyability of this collection by offering the stories as just that - stories - as opposed to arguing for the existence or ghosts. This is folklore at its finest, offered in a casual and down to earth manner reminiscent of tales spun from rocking chairs on countless Southern porches. |
|
|