A Haunted History of Invisible Women

True Stories of America's Ghosts

By: Leanna Renee Hieber, Andrea Janes

Narrated by: Linda Jones

Sorrowful widows, vengeful jezebels, innocent maidens, wronged lovers, former slaves, even the occasional axe-murderess—America's female ghosts differ widely in background, class, and circumstance. Yet one thing unites them: their ability to instill fascination and fear, long after their deaths. Here are the full stories behind some of the best-known among them, as well as the lesser-known—though no less powerful.

Tales whispered in darkness often divulge more about the teller than the subject. America's most famous female ghosts, from "Mrs. Spencer" who haunted Joan Rivers's New York apartment to Bridget Bishop, the first person executed during the Salem witchcraft trials, mirror each era's fears and prejudices. Yet through urban legends and campfire stories, even ghosts like the nameless hard-working women lost in the infamous Triangle Shirtwaist Factory fire achieve a measure of power and agency in death, in ways unavailable to them as living women.

Riveting for skeptics and believers alike, with humor, curiosity, and expertise, A Haunted History of Invisible Women offers a unique lens on the significant role these ghostly legends play both within the spook-seeking corners of our minds and in the consciousness of a nation.

©2022 Leanna Renee Hieber and Andrea Janes (P)2022 Tantor

Loved the angle on this!

Narrator was amazing, content was incredible. The way the stories were presented and the history behind them was refreshing. Stories I already knew about felt brand new!

Learn the stories behind the stories

I was intrigued by this cover and title the first time I saw it, so I got a copy of A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN back when it first published in 2022. I finally moved it from TBR to finished -- only took me two years!

To be clear: A HAUNTED HISTORY OF INVISIBLE WOMEN isn't a book of ghost stories so much as it is the history of the real women behind the ghost stories. The two authors alternate points of view and present readers/listeners with stories about a variety of famous, not-so-famous, and infamous women including maidens, witches, Jezebels, crones, mothers, wives, widows, and spinsters. Oh, and full out "bad girls."

They not only explore many of the commonly used tropes when it comes to ghost stories, they dive deeper. In pointing out that most ghost stories are about women, they then examine the truths behind the stories and point the lamplight on the suppression of and societal prejudices against women. By grouping together these stories, it's much easier to see what the tragic figures have in common and how that common thread is found in most ghost stories. And it left me thinking about how some groups profit from the tragedies of others.

While the true stories of the murders and deaths of the women are harrowing, this isn't a book that gave me spine tingling chills. The focus isn't on telling ghost stories but enlightening readers as to why they persist and pointing out discrepancies between the truth and the ghost story. It's much more an academic investigation than anything else, very well researched, and it was certainly a fresh approach and perspective I'd not considered.

ABOUT THE NARRATION: Narrator Linda Jones's delivery is even, but it was a bit slow for my enjoyment so I bumped to listening at 1.25x speed. Her voice fit well with the subject matter, and listening is much like hearing a speaker at a conference. However, there are more mispronunciations than there should be and too many misplaced pauses that took me out of the narration.

Interestingly enough, the authors are believers and have had their own ghostly encounters. Somehow, for me, that gives them more credibility when they debunked and denounced some in how they approached the book. Because of the amount on information that's shared, I think I'd like to have a print copy of this one in order to re-read some sections and utilize the bibliography and authors' notes I imagine are there (but weren't in the audiobook, which is the norm.)

I recommend this for readers who enjoy the stories behind the stories and for those who entertain the possibility of spirits who walk among us.

Loved this audiobook

As a consumer of ghost literature, tours, and shows, I absolutely loved this well-researched and -argued book. So grateful to have stumbled upon this!

Excellent history hiding in ghost story form

the only complaint I have is the reader mispronounced a few place names, which is forgivable. I am looking forward to the sequel.

Absolutely captivating

I AM OBSESSED. The story telling is just phenomenal I was hooked from the very beginning and finished too quickly!

Just right for a historical spooky read

Enjoyed this a lot... perfect read for October. the author's struck a good balance with history, skepticism, love of a good tale and touching on current feminist thinking without getting preachy.

Women and their ghosts

A critical look at the women behind many of the ghost stories in America. The kindle version provides many references and footnotes to go with each section.