I can't remember where I heard about this book, but I decided if it was free to check-out at the library, I was game. The story moved along at a good and relatively interesting clip in the beginning, even if the writing was a bit amateurish. I enjoyed the suspense of the 'find' in the basement dirt room and the images of her cat, Theo, standing on his hind legs gave me the shivers, but once she hit the astral travel, the out-of-body experience, etc. she completely lost me. I was on that road to dis-interest when she admitted to calling the physic hotline because then I had the niggling feeling that this woman desperately wanted to believe something paranormal was happening. I actually didn't quite finish this book because it became, for lack of a better word, a little kooky. As it went on and more and more things happened in all realms of the paranormal I became more and more of a skeptic. I wouldn't say it's an awful book, just an 'ehhh' book.

I am always interested in "regular people" having an experience which they are unable to explain. Unfortunately, this isn't one of those stories. It started out as though it would be, but at one point, the author introduces the idea that she regularly has out of body experiences while asleep. In other words, this is not an objective person telling this story. Much of the alleged haunting is told through feelings, not facts, and most of the experiences she claims to have lack any witnesses or visitors who experience the same things. She does introduce a scientist boyfriend who ratifies some of her experiences, but you don't ever get a good feel for him as to find this wholly credible. She also continues to introduce other third parties who supposedly support her experiences in less tangible ways. But when several of those friends actually have a "fairy party" at one point (an event that was not explained to the reader), it only serves to prove that, overall, the author is someone actively seeking these experiences, and therefore she found them. On the positive side, she doesn't come across as overly new-agey or kooky in her writing for the most part, which is the only reason I found this book bearable enough to finish.

A simply delightful read! Recommended for true ghost story fans.

Chilling in the way only a true story can be. And having lived in a similar 100 year old house in the Midwest for a few years, very familiar.

Well-written memoir of Wilder's experiences with the numerous entities in her house - definitely recommended.

Wonderful read! The authors experience with the paranormal is noteworthy. Chilling yet captivating.

Not very believable but still a few good chills here and there.

I enjoyed this book. Easy, light reading. Not a scary ghost story.

First hand story frmo a lady who lived in a haunted house.

Came across this at a garage sale and was intrigued by the semi-local setting. Part of me feels like the stories would have been better suited as material for a novel, but I'm still glad she released it this way because fitted around the New Age-y stuff about reiki and chakras and all that, this book is full of really fascinating and sometimes genuinely chilling stories. I started off thinking I would just page/skim through it but quickly realized, nope, need full context here.

The house's real history is interesting enough, and I loved the little glimpses of the neighborhood she described around it as well as the house's lovely architecture, but the various ghosts she sees make for an interesting cast of characters. Particularly Leon the Protector. Gotta say, you do not often hear about a house being haunted by the person you bought it from (or, well, his daughter, but the point being: dude was alive until a year beforehand).

Anyway, long story short, it made me very glad I don't actually live in one of the grand and beautiful old houses I love touring at estate sales and often daydream about being wealthy or knowledgeable enough about DIY home repair to buy, because if I'd been reading this book in one of those houses I would never get a good night's sleep again. But in the context of her writing, as the spirits seem mostly benevolent, it felt very much like the TV show "Ghosts." Especially after she had a couple of mediums come to the house and relay full-on chatty conversations they had with the spirit residents.

This book is as beautifully written as it is interesting: spooky, mystical, human, with just a touch of humor.

Pretty interesting story of ghosts and other paranormal happenings in an old house the author purchased.