On Haunted Ground by Lisa Rogers: Book Review

Publisher: Llewellyn Publications  (May 2012)

Genre: Nonfiction, 264 Pages

Source: Netgalley for review

Summary From Llewellyn Publications:

Lisa Rogers sensed that the house she bought with her husband Wes came with a ghost. But nothing prepared them for doors slamming on their own, objects flying, and the nightly appearance of a freaky green orb in their bedroom. Their two children had opposing views on the paranormal activity. While Keshia grew attached to the grandmotherly ghost who taught her not to be afraid of thunderstorms and the Native American spirit that tucked her into bed, her brother Troy wasn’t quick to believe in their unearthly guests.

This amazing true story details two decades of terrifying, funny, and heartwarming paranormal encounters—the mischievous entity that imitated the voice of each family member, the spool that “came to life” to chase the kids, the shocking events that shake Wes and Troy’s skepticism—and the enduring love that keeps the family together through it all.

Our Two Cents:

I enjoy a good ghost story and one that is true is even more enjoyable.  On Haunted Ground did not disappoint.  It starts off with a bang and keeps on banging!

Can you imagine living in a haunted house?  Lisa Rogers makes it very easy for us to experience what she and her family did.  I ask myself if I would have handled it as well as she and her daughter or would I have been the one looking for the ‘rational explanation’ like her husband and son.  I know I would have believed but I would probably have been scared to death.  Lisa didn’t run scared, she lived in the house for many years, still lives there today with the spirits.

There were some creepy moments like seeing her daughter, Keshia all tucked nicely in bed and asking how she did it and managed to get her arms under the covers.  Her daughter answered that the Indian did it, he tucked her in every night!

I felt a chill go up my spine when I read that but then a smile came to my face.  How nice to know that Keshia was not afraid of this ghost and that she was being looked after by the spirit world.

I enjoyed watching Wes, Lisa’s husband come around from being a non-believing skeptic to experiencing first hand the spirits in his house, his workshop and places where he worked.  While he still ‘tried’ to find a solid reason for strange happenings, when he couldn’t, he accepted

I enjoyed the entire book but my favorite part was the epilogue.   The epilogue was written by Lisa’s now grown and married daughter Keshia from her point of view growing up with ghosts, being followed to her new home by spirits and her descriptions of them.  I love how she says that “ghosts were just part of life, nothing to get too excited about.”    Or when she says that some of her experiences were unpleasant or frightening but isn’t that the same with people?

I believe that children are very receptive to spirits because they do not become afraid and jaded until they are taught to.  I love how Ms. Rogers never tried to convince her daughter that she was not seeing or hearing or experiencing these things but allowed her to talk about them openly and without criticism.  Of course it was easy for her to do that since she believed as well but I still think it is great that her daughter’s experiences were never belittled.

There was nothing about this book that I did not like other than for me, it was too short.  I would have loved to spend more time with the author and her family and spirits.  I learned a lot, I cringed, and I laughed.  Now when I see that movement out of corner of my eye, I just may have the nerve to ask them who they are!

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