Review: Local History
Rating: 2 out of 5
Date: 03 9, 2012
This book contains three interwoven stories about a rural part of lowcountry South Carolina. The stories are all historical, ranging from lost loves to Confederate ships felled by naval blockades. While the title suggests that the main thrust of the book is ghost stories, I would consider it to be more local history or folklore. Much of the story is not about after-death activities, but about what now-supposed ghosts did in life, and how they eventually met their ends. Really the stories are more legends of the past, told very much in an oral history tradition. The author displays a strong understanding of the history of the region.That said, I found it hard to connect with these stories. Perhaps that's because I was expecting a more traditional ghost story. It might also be because I've never much had an interest in traditional storytelling, and reading this felt more like listening to a storyteller than reading.I would recommend this book to people who have a particular interest in this region, the sorts of readers who would read a local history of the region.