Headless visions—howls and moans—ghostly ladies dressed in black and white—a fiddling spirit dancing on the road. Such are the sights and sounds that inhabit the pages of Lynwood Montell’s Kentucky Ghosts. This collection is representative of the rich tradition of ghost or “haint” tales passed on through the ages and across cultures as a way of dealing with death and the lore of the spirit world. In retelling the tales, Montell has included details about architecture, geography, and local culture. Each tale is told in the voice of the narrator who believe the story to be true. And, who knows . . . ?

William Lynwood Montell, professor emeritus of Folk Studies at Western Kentucky University, is the author of several books, including Ghosts across Kentucky, Haunted Houses and Family Ghosts of Kentucky, and Kentucky Folk Architecture.

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