Haunted Portland: From Pirates to Ghost Brides
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TL;DR: Enjoyable, but not as ghostly as expected.
A quick read, Haunted Portland has many historical anecdotes but is fairly light on the hauntings. Divided into short chapters by location, you’ll learn about historic locations in Portland (and further afield), but don’t expect to be wicked spooked.
There are a couple of good ghost stories, particularly the one about Lydia Carver at the Inn By The Sea in Cape Elizabeth. However, many chapters have just a paragraph or two at the end sharing anecdotes of ghostly sightings or creepy happenings.
The stories within the chapters are well-written and captivating. Though not all incredibly spooky it certainly isn’t dry history. The book provides any fan of Maine history with a lot of fun facts and starting points for further exploration. For example, that the Longfellow tomb in Western Cemetery is empty.
Consider picking up a copy to bring with you for an overnight at camp or on the islands to read aloud one or two of the stories. Or, breeze through it on a sunny afternoon before you go for a stroll near one of the haunted sites.