The Haunting of Alma Fielding: A True Ghost Story by Kate Summerscale

 

From Goodreads

London, 1938. In the suburbs of the city, an ordinary young housewife has become the eye in a storm of chaos. In Alma Fielding's modest home, china flies off the shelves, eggs fly through the air; stolen jewellery appears on her fingers, white mice crawl out of her handbag, beetles appear from under her gloves; in the middle of a car journey, a terrapin materialises on her lap. Nandor Fodor - a Jewish-Hungarian refugee and chief ghost hunter for the International Institute for Psychical Research - reads of the case, and hastens to the scene of the haunting. But when Fodor starts his scrupulous investigation, he discovers that the case is even stranger than it seems. By unravelling Alma's peculiar history, he finds a different and darker type of haunting: trauma, alienation, loss - and the foreshadowing of a nation's worst fears. As the spectre of Fascism lengthens over Europe, and as Fodor's obsession with the case deepens, Alma becomes ever more disturbed. With rigour, daring and insight, the award-winning pioneer of non-fiction writing Kate Summerscale shadows Fodor's enquiry, delving into long-hidden archives to find the human story behind a very modern haunting. 

My thoughts

I borrowed a copy of this via BorrowBox the digital lending side of my local Library.

I gave this a 3.5 stars or 7/10.

I enjoyed this book based on real people and real events.  At times it did seem a bit of a chore to read as it didn't continually hold the readers attention, yet I wanted to find out what had actually happened. Kate Summerscale has done plenty of research looking into the life of Alma Fielding and those around her in order to determine whether or not Alma Fielding was actually experiencing hauntings by a ghost or whether it was a made up experience.  

It was an insight into what many people believe or would like to believe are real, that when someone passes away that they still live among us in one form or another.  Ghosts are supposed to be the spirit of people that have died and from time to time may appear to us in one form or another.  I am not sure whether I believe in ghosts, but I do like to think that when someone close has died that they still remain with us. 

I think that this would make a great reading group read, as I feel that there is so much that could be discussed and I for one would love to know what others may think on the subject of Ghosts and the spirit world.