Reviews
Praise for David Jaher's The Witch of Lime Street "In this meticulously researched and entertaining work, David Jaher explores a largely forgotten chapter in Anglo-American history--the post-World War I rise of spiritualism, born of a deep desire to commune with the spirits of slain soldiers. The cast of fascinating, masterfully drawn characters ranges from Harry Houdini, a supreme rationalist who debunked all supernaturalism, to "the Witch of Lime Street" herself--Margery Crandon, a self-proclaimed Boston medium with a huge following. This is, on a deep level, a cautionary tale of the bizarre, painful deception and self-deception associated with human unwillingness to accept the finality of death--especially youthful death." --Susan Jacoby, author of Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism and The Age of American Unreason "Jaher's meticulously researched account of Scientific American's infamous contest to find an authentic medium had me racing through the pages to find out how it all turns out. I kept learning so much that was new about Margery, Houdini, Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, and the whole affair in general, that I thought there might be even more surprises at the end. And there were. To keep this spoiler-free I'll just say that the paranormal showdown of the early 20th century doesn't wrap up how you may think." --Stacy Horn, author of Unbelievable : Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory, Praise for David Jaher's The Witch of Lime Street "Jaher brings Harry Houdini's crusade against Spiritualism back into popular knowledge in his gripping first book...a fascinating look at the Spiritualist movement in 1920s America." -- Publishers Weekly [Starred Review] "Jaher's narrative style is as engaging as his character portraits are colorful. Together, they bring a bygone age and its defining spiritual obsessions roaring to life. Fascinating, sometimes thrilling, reading." -- Kirkus Reviews "A beautifully written, deeply researched, and delightfully mysterious tale of grifters and ghosts in the Jazz Age. David Jaher writes about the battle between science and spiritualism with a charming combination of sympathy, skepticism, and suspense. Jaher has made a great debut as a historian and a story-teller." --Debby Applegate, Pulitzer Prize-winning author of The Most Famous Man in America "A perfectly told mystery story involving a famed early 20th century medium, who thrilled her followers and puzzled even celebrity skeptics such as Harry Houdini. This compelling book by David Jaher is a genuinely lovely exploration of our belief systems, both magical and rational. I can promise you that once you finish it, you'll want to sit down and read it again. That's exactly what I did." --Deborah Blum, Pulitzer Prize winner and author of Ghost Hunters and The Poisoner's Handbook "A spectacular debut that is both a thrilling page-turner and an unforgettable tale of a high-stakes rivalry." --David King, bestselling author of Death in the City of Light and Vienna, 1814 "Reads like a collection of mysterious tarot cards -- Ouija boards, bizarre madame mediums, and yes our friend the Great Houdini. Read it if you dare. --Lily Koppel, New York Times Bestselling Author of The Astronaut Wives Club "Jaher's meticulously researched account of Scientific American 's infamous contest to find an authentic medium had me racing through the pages to find out how it all turns out. To keep this spoiler-free I'll just say that the paranormal showdown of the early 20th century doesn't wrap up how you may think." --Stacy Horn, author of Unbelievable: Investigations into Ghosts, Poltergeists, Telepathy, and Other Unseen Phenomena, from the Duke Parapsychology Laboratory "David Jaher's tale of the bizarre 1920s fever fad for spiritualism and séances is as gripping as a mystery thriller, as evocative of that post-Great War decade as a documentary, and as haunting as a ghost story. A fascinating piece of time travel to a forgotten era." --Kate Buford, author of Native American Son: The Life and Sporting Legend of Jim Thorpe "In this meticulously researched and entertaining work, David Jaher explores a largely forgotten chapter in Anglo-American history -- the post-World War I rise of spiritualism, born of a deep desire to commune with the spirits of slain soldiers. The cast of fascinating, masterfully drawn characters ranges from Harry Houdini, a supreme rationalist, to Margery Crandon, a self-proclaimed Boston medium with a huge following. This is, on a deep level, a cautionary tale of the bizarre, painful deception and self-deception associated with human unwillingness to accept the finality of death -- especially youthful death." --Susan Jacoby, author of Freethinkers and The Age of American Unreason
