Ghosthunting: New Jersey
Looking back I am not really sure why I bought this book except that upon opening it, I saw that it was neatly broken up by regions of New Jersey and then smaller subsections with towns in New Jersey. I couldn’t help but skim over the “ghostly places” in the towns I know best. Then as soon as I read one small section while standing in the book store, I was hooked. For those of us who work at Bowker (New Providence), the closest area covered in this book is in the Watchung Reservation. This book is part of a series called America’s Haunted Road Trip.
This New Jersey volume has stories about restaurants, universities, museums, and even a library. The author, L’aura Hladik, seems brave and almost tickled whenever she has the opportunity to stake out a ghostly area. She does not always encounter the ghost herself while studying the locations. However, her stories include the original details that other folks have told her, which is why she chooses to examine those locations. Another element that drew me in was finding out that the author of the book graduated from the high school in my very own town, Chatham.
Whether you believe in ghosts or not, the stories are thought-provoking—to say the least. My advice is this: If you read these stories while in the bright, hazy sunlight of summer, on a crowded beach, you have nothing to fear! It is almost a perfect beach read! (I said almost.) I found the stories fascinating, even if I did wake up a few times during the night just to look around my bedroom! I would recommend it for those who are curious and for those who are able to quickly file away what you have read and not dwell on it. A long time ago someone told me that we have more to fear from the living than the dead. Surely the proof of that is shown nightly on the evening news.
Hi Suzanne,
This must have been fun to read. It gives a different perspective on local history. I knew there was more to New Jersey than meets the eye.