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The Ghosts of Varner Creek

by Michael Weems (Goodreads Author)

3.85 of 5 stars 3.85 · rating details · 904 ratings · 177 reviews

In the summer of 1909, Solomon Mayfield awoke to find his mother and sister had disappeared. Left with his alcoholic and abusive father, Sol lived his life believing the story he'd been told, the story all the people of Varner Creek believed about what happened that summer. But in a plot of twists and family secrets that will leave the reader reaching for their jaw upon th...more

Paperback, 244 pages

Published July 28th 2010 by Epigraph Publishing (first published July 18th 2007)

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Feb 25, 2012 R.S. rated it 4 of 5 stars

This story initially really got my attention. I was led by the hand of the main character Sol, into his earlier growing-up world of intense and sometimes brutal abuse of both his mother and himself. The story also goes way back to his parents courtship, describing the mean-spirited and primal nature of the man he called Pap (his father).
Sol's sister plays a primary role in the re-telling and one cannot help but feel sorry for her. A moving and disturbing ending that completes this somewhat morbi...more

7 likes · like · see review

Feb 04, 2012 Michael Weems added it · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

This book is now available on Kindle as of August, 2011. I hope you enjoy the read. Thanks.

Update 10/14/2011: Amazing! As of last night, and still today, The Ghosts of Varner Creek is on Barnes & Noble Nook's Sci Fi Best Seller list . . . right next to Game of Thrones! Thanks everyone for reading. Very, very cool.

Michael Weems

14 likes · like · see review

Sep 07, 2012 Mallory rated it 5 of 5 stars

Wow. From the moment I started this book I was captivated. I loved the main character, Sol. The book starts out with him in a nursing home, and he seems like the funny grandpa that everyone loves. A little rough around the edges, maybe some attitude, but overall awesome. Then the author takes you back to the events that shape the plot of the book in early 1900's Texas, and back farther still for the background. I loved the different views, and hearing the back story. I think the author did an am...more

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Aug 19, 2012 D.M. Dutcher rated it 4 of 5 stars

It's a more of a literary story with added ghost elements tacked in. Good writing and plot, but don't expect to be scared much.

Sol is an old man in a nursing home who tells us his life story after he dies. He has an ability to see ghosts, but after a few examples he gets to the main story, how he was raised by his father and mother, and the tragedies that happened because of this. It's a very sad story, and he relates it for closure as he is on the edge of moving on. Any more would spoil the tal...more

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Mar 04, 2012 Sara Meehan rated it 4 of 5 stars

When I purchased "The Ghosts of Varner Creek," I thought I was buying a ghost story in the traditional (read: horror) sense. That, it's not - despite a very creepy hotel room encounter with a ghost early on - but I'm having a hard time pegging it. Amazon's description calls it "a southern Gothic tale of a paranormal mystery," and that's pretty close, though I would argue that it's a regular mystery with some paranormal aspects.

However you want to categorize Michael Weems' novel, you'll have to a...more When I purchased "The Ghosts of Varner Creek," I thought I was buying a ghost story in the traditional (read: horror) sense. That, it's not - despite a very creepy hotel room encounter with a ghost early on - but I'm having a hard time pegging it. Amazon's description calls it "a southern Gothic tale of a paranormal mystery," and that's pretty close, though I would argue that it's a regular mystery with some paranormal aspects.

However you want to categorize Michael Weems' novel, you'll have to admit one thing: This is an excellent, if at times heartbreaking, story about the way one family self-destructs and the secrets left behind.

The narrator, Sol, grows up in the small town of Varner Creek with his parents and his older sister, Sarah, who has Down syndrome. His parents' marriage isn't a happy one - not surprising, considering it's rooted in date rape - and so when Sol's mother, Annie, and Sarah disappear the day after Sarah's birthday, not many are surprised. Sol is, though, and he isn't the only one wondering about their disappearance.

How Sol deals with the emotional aftermath of his mother's disappearance, his father's emotional and physical abuse and, yes, his unexpected ability to see ghosts makes for an engrossing read. It's not always comfortable, but given the subject matter, that's appropriate.

What hooked me early on (after I realized what kind of book this was not) is the way Weems describes Sol's discovery that his mother and sister have vanished. Weems nails the way a young boy would react to being left with a parent who terrifies him by the parent he loves. Confusion, denial, self-blame - it's achingly easy to imagine Sol's emotion state.

The writing is generally very good. Weems skirts the line of overly cutesy with some countrified spellings - "yah" instead of yeah, "diller" instead of armadillo, etc. - but it was kept within reason.

I don't normally enjoy novels like this one; I prefer escapist fiction, where the harm people do to each other is sufficiently removed from my reality. In spite of that, I made it through "The Ghosts of Varner Creek" in a little more than a day. It's worth reading.(less)

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Feb 09, 2012 Becky rated it 5 of 5 stars

I stayed up until midnight last night, reading this book. First off, as the author states, it's really not a book about ghosts, although ghosts are involved (and can be scary as heck!). I think this book would make an amazing movie - I could totally see some of these scenes being reenacted with special effects.

The book begins with Solomon, who is 87 years old, waking up to the faceless female ghost who has taken to hanging around his room at the nursing home. He's never had a ghost actually com...more

4 likes · like · see review

May 27, 2013 Rhonda rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: kindle-books-tbr, leather-jacket-black-2013

The Ghosts of Varner Creek is an awesome story. The plot, while not completely original, is very compelling and there is an unexpected twist in the plot at the end. The twist was not unexpected, but I can't say it was predictable either. The first 2 chapters are really slow, but if you perservere, you will be rewarded.

For me, the best thing about Ghosts was the characters. They were richly drawn and absolutely believable. They were true to the locale and the era. While the story is tragic, ther...more The Ghosts of Varner Creek is an awesome story. The plot, while not completely original, is very compelling and there is an unexpected twist in the plot at the end. The twist was not unexpected, but I can't say it was predictable either. The first 2 chapters are really slow, but if you perservere, you will be rewarded.

For me, the best thing about Ghosts was the characters. They were richly drawn and absolutely believable. They were true to the locale and the era. While the story is tragic, there were also some bits of humor and the attempts to catch the Lucifer of all wild roosters made me laugh out loud (this can be somewhat embarrassing, as I catch odd looks from my husband when I laugh audibly while reading). I was involved with the families of Annie and Emma and cared about them.

I would have easily given 4 stars, but have only given 3 because of the multiple errors. They seemed much more prevalent in the second half of the book, and for me, they were distracting. I'll give 2 examples: (view spoiler)

While these errors aren't deal breakers by any means, they did cause me to stumble in my reading and there are simply too many of them. I typically find these kinds of errors too cumbersome and will not finish a book fraught with these stumbling blocks, but the plot and characters in Ghosts compelled me to go on.

I would recommend this title and I would read this author again because the story was very compelling, but I would hope the next title from Mr. Weems would be better edited.

As per usual, here is my FYI bit - There was no coarse language that I can recall. There was a bit of violence. There was alcohol abuse. There was no graphic sexual content; however, the subject of child sexual abuse is present briefly; it is not graphic.(less)

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Oct 24, 2012 Angie ~aka Reading Machine~ rated it 5 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Ghosts of Varner Creek isn't like any other ghost story told. I've read other ghost stories yet this one struck deep abiding emotions within me. The characters are flawed, tragic, intelligent, and soulful in so many ways. I connected with this book on a deeply emotional level that is reminiscent of The Reluctant Dom and Beautiful Disaster. The revelations that occur in the last few chapters of this book will leave you absolutely speechless and heartbroken for everyone that is involved. I cri...more The Ghosts of Varner Creek isn't like any other ghost story told. I've read other ghost stories yet this one struck deep abiding emotions within me. The characters are flawed, tragic, intelligent, and soulful in so many ways. I connected with this book on a deeply emotional level that is reminiscent of The Reluctant Dom and Beautiful Disaster. The revelations that occur in the last few chapters of this book will leave you absolutely speechless and heartbroken for everyone that is involved. I cried and got extremely anger at several characters for their actions or inactions. Here are my thoughts:

Solomon (Sol) Mayfield currently resides in a nursing home in Varner Creek, Texas. He reflects back on his life with memories that just won't fade away. One of the most interesting things about Solomon Mayfield is that he can see ghosts from a very young age. He's a widower and lonely without his family around him. He's tried explaining his ability to see ghosts with others but they just think that he's crazy and unstable. He begins to remember things from when he was twelve years old yet none of these memories are particularly happy ones. Solomon begins with the story of how his parents met Annie Stotley and Abram Mayfield.

Annie Stotley is fourteen years old when she mets and eventually marries Abram Mayfield. Abram Mayfield isn't a particularly hard worker yet is polite and kind when it suits him. Annie doesn't know much about men or boys yet she thinks of Abram as being kind enough to her. Annie was blind to Abram's faults and very naive about life in general. Annie is indifferent about her feelings towards Abram much like her father in this respect. Abram had a difficult childhood leaving him to be a bitter and unloved which carries over into adulthood. Abram feels trapped into marrying Annie because she's pregnant. Their first is a mentally retarded girl and second child is a healthy boy. Abram has been known to be physically violent. Solomon is twelve years old when something very unusual happens. Annie and Sarah are missing and nowhere to be found according to Abram. Sol knows that something has happened to his mother and sister yet no one really believes him. Everyone around Sol believes or thinks that Abram has done something yet there is no prove at all. What is Abram hiding? What secret does Annie have? Where are Sarah and Annie? Will the truth come to light? Will Sol learn the truth? Why does Sol still see ghosts? Your answers await you in The Ghosts of Varner Creek.(less)

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Mar 08, 2012 Janet rated it 5 of 5 stars

I'll be honest. I downloaded the Kindle version of of this book mainly out of curiosity and because I got in on a free download promotion, so the price was right. I like to read and write about ghosts, so the title intrigued me. My expectations weren't very high. You get what you pay for, right? Not in this case. This book would have been a bargain at any price.

Being an avid reader, I run through four to six titles a month. If I had more leisure time, it would be twice that. "The Ghosts of Varne...more

3 likes · like · see review

Jan 26, 2012 Mae R rated it 3 of 5 stars

Shelves: kindle-freebies

Maybe it's because I was reading it in the middle of the night in the dark, but the scene with the ghost in the hotel room really, really freaked me out. Serves me right for staying up late and reading on the kindle app on my phone. However, this is not really a ghost story; rather, it's the story of a man, Soloman, who can see, but not talk to, the spirits of the departed. The story begins with Soloman as an old man in a nursing home, but doesn't really get going until (spoilers!) he dies and e...more

1 like · like · see review

Jul 23, 2012 Courtney rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

This book was the first eBook I purchased for my new Kindle, & so purchased because it was free.

I knew it would be good because within the book description was, "Caution: Book contains adult content & themes. Reader discretion advised."

Sign me up!

This ghost story immediately pulled me in as the main character, an elderly man named Sol, wakes up seeing a spirit with no face. We learn that he's had many run-ins with ghosts since the death of his older sister & mother when he was just...more

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Feb 07, 2012 Teatree_elle rated it 5 of 5 stars

I had added the following review to Amazon, but wanted to include the same review in Goodreads:

"This was an excellent read. Normally, I don't read books reflective of this time period in Americana history; however, this book was wonderful, well-written, and beautifully executed. It is a good old-fashioned mystery book teetering on the edge of paranormal. Your heart breaks for all characters, in particular, Annie, the missing matriarch.

I will definitely look for more stories by this author."

Days...more

2 likes · like · see review

Nov 25, 2012 Adam Nicolai rated it 4 of 5 stars

I have to get one thing off my chest. The following sentence is not punctuated correctly:

He ran to the car, "Hello!"

That's not a direct quote from The Ghosts of Varner Creek, but the novel has a lot of sentences structured that way, and I have to admit it drove me completely nuts. I read a bit of the included sample chapter of Mr. Weems' next book, and saw it happening again there. At that point, without the emotional investment I had in Ghosts to keep me reading, my reaction was actually strong...more

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Nov 01, 2012 Kristen rated it 2 of 5 stars

A murder mystery memoir from a man on his deathbed. The story was good, but the end seemed to be a bit supernatural for me. As always a few clippings:

"This getting old thing sure is a bothersome business, and I'm no longer getting there. I've arrived, unpacked, and been settled so long you can smell old on me."

"...you get used to it though. It's just plum amazing what you can get used to after you've been around it a long time."

"Four kids and a wife in a three-room home had consumed his personal...more

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Jul 29, 2012 Josh Little rated it 3 of 5 stars

I didn't care for this book. I found it to be overly-wordy, and while the attempt is made to match the time's southern dialect, it felt forced and unnatural.

My great grandmother grew up in the south around the time this story was set in, and while the author's attempt to match the dialect was okay- his inadequate use of the language was distracting and annoying.

I enjoyed the main character and George quite a bit; some funny moments surrounding an evil rooster named "Lucifer the Leghorn," lighte...more

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Feb 23, 2013 H.R. Holt rated it 4 of 5 stars

What makes a book memorable, long after the final pages are turned? With "Ghosts of Varner Creek," I believe that the characters are what will provide the fuel to drive my memory... for an uncertain amount of time. Maybe even forever, though we all know how fickle that can be.

After all, who could ever forget the princess dress and the little sister always so loved by her brother? Who could forget the two little boys and Lucifer? And who could forget the tragedy that reveals itself - in detail -...more

1 like · like · see review

Mar 17, 2012 Annalea rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Shelves: historical, mystery, suspense, paranormal

This book was a very pleasant surprise since it was a free download. Weems wraps you in Solomon's world, whether it's the nursing home where he is spending his last years or the Varner Creek of his childhood memories. Varner Creek especially felt like a real, living place. The mystery was intriguing and the characters were interesting and well-rounded.

However, as much as I liked this book, I had two major problems with it:

1. The ghost story was not necessary. It felt tacked on, as if the autho...more

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Nov 26, 2012 Tess rated it 4 of 5 stars

When Sol Mayfield passes away at the age of 87 – he is finally given the answers that have weighed heavily on his mind and heart for most of his life.

The Ghosts of Varner Creek is well worth the time to read: please take time to get through a few of the slower parts of the book’s narrative. At first I was wondering why we had a glimpse as far back as how his Mama and Pap eventually married. With that bit of information – I was able to read on and sadly, had a gut feeling as to where the book wa...more

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Dec 17, 2012 Barbara Mason rated it 4 of 5 stars

The first couple chapters had me thinking "hmmm, what?". Very slow and kind of all over the place. Funny thing is, I think the rest of the book could stand well on its own without the beginning. Just saying :)
The rest of the book brought my imagination to life. I could smell the woods, hear the rooster. I laughed, felt sorrow and just in general had a good time. The ending was perfect for the way the book carried you along and surprises came around the corner unexpectedly.
I would recommend that...more

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Dec 28, 2011 Ashley Genaway rated it 5 of 5 stars

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here.

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Nov 15, 2012 Teresa rated it 3 of 5 stars

I found this as a free e-book; as a fan of all things ghost, I figured I had nothing to lose in reading it despite knowing little about the plot. It wasn't what I was expecting (a horror story), but it was kind of a beautiful little story in its own way.

Most of the story is told in flashback, which lends a nice period feel. The main character, Sol, is likeable, and remarkably good-natured and well-adjusted considering the story that unfolds. The story touches some pretty serious issues (domestic...more

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Sep 30, 2012 Alan Stormont rated it 5 of 5 stars

A very well-crafted book! Reads part murder mystery, part historical novel (early 1900s small town Texas), part supernatural (see the title), but completely captivating. The book has characters who will all completely captivate you--not one character will leave you feeling indifferent. A great read from start-to-finish and highly recommended to adult readers (some mature themes and language).

When I downloaded this book for my Kindle, free from Amazon at the time, I wasn't certain of what to expe...more

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Nov 18, 2012 Jane rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: books-of-2012

What a great surprise this book was. The story is outstanding. The author created complex, nuanced characters without making it look like work, and I genuinely cared how things turned out for them--even the ones I really wanted to loathe. He also managed to play his cards close to his chest, as there were at least two surprises in the last few chapters. Finally, the book touches on the issues of forgiveness and redemption in an interesting way.

If you're picky about this sort of thing, I will war...more

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Oct 01, 2012 Amanda Cowher rated it 5 of 5 stars

Shelves: favorites

I had to stay up tonight to finish this, and I'm still crying! This is instantly one of my favorite books. It had moments that caused me to sweat, instances where I laughed hysterically, and then there were shocking revelations to where I just had to sit and cry for these characters. This is a story about a man who has a special gift, the ability to see ghosts. This is not what the story is about though; it is about all the moments of his life, what caused him to gain this amazing ability, and a...more

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Nov 02, 2012 Linda A rated it 4 of 5 stars

In a word, tragic. Deep sadness permeates the lives of Annie and her family as she struggles to make the best of choices gone very wrong. "How was a 12 year old suppose to deal with all these horrible things happening at once?" Even as Annie's son Sol asks it he knows there is no answer to his question. And happen all at once they do. Annie's husband Abram is a mean spirited violent drunk fighting the ghosts of his past. Sol sees dead people. Slow moving at first. So just when I'm wondering wher...more

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Mar 06, 2013 Brian Holland rated it 4 of 5 stars · review of another edition

The Ghosts of Varner Creek, by Michael Weems, has some editing issues, but the grammar and out-of-place words are easily overlooked by the emotion emanating from the main character, Sol. And since this poor farm boy is the narrator, the grammar often fits right into the setting anyway. Sol is a naive youngster in an unsophisticated world, but nurturing maturity and attention to detail make him extremely lovable.

The story is about hardworking, traditional folk, amid the darkness of domestic abuse...more

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Jan 26, 2013 Walk rated it 3 of 5 stars · review of another edition

Kindle edition.

This is a 3.5 / 5

An old man is drawing a few final breaths at the end of a long life. A life started in dirt poor rural US before the modern world begins, horse and buggy and telegram country.

It is a life with a central tragedy.

The remainder of the book deals with this singular event. It is not a traditional ghost story but early on in the novel there is a haunting experience that was really well written and had me hooked.

I never have high hopes for these low price kindle books, o...more

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Apr 16, 2012 Sara Schmidt rated it 5 of 5 stars

I recently purchased a kindle fire, and this was a free book to download...it looked scary and supernatural which I sometimes enjoy, so I went ahead and downloaded it. I have to tell you, this is not what I expected. It wasn't supernatural in an unbelievable way. It was not based on a true story, but the story itself sounded so true and genuine. The story it tells is very intense. There were a couple of light moments that literally made me laugh out loud, but it had a very dreary tale. It's a ve...more

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Jul 07, 2012 David Schindler rated it 3 of 5 stars

Ghosts of Varner Creek by Michael Weems is a nicely written ghost story that doesn't rely on gimmicks or cheap shocks. It's told from the point of view of an elderly man with an ability to "see beyond the veil" who recalls how, as a child, this ability helped him find the body of his murdered sister. But it isn't until he crosses over himself that he comes to understand the truth about the murder and the fate of his mother, who disappeared the night his sister died. I came close to giving it fou...more

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Feb 17, 2013 Jane McBride rated it 5 of 5 stars

Thought it was fabulous-kept me up reading and when I was done it kept me up thinking about it. I love the author's ideas about the way things are after death, and I don't think he's far wrong. I recommend this book. I read this book in a very short time, just because I couldn't put it down. I loved going back in time. I hope the ghostly parts weren't intended to be creepy, because to me, they weren't. They actually felt totally real and normal. Sol had no trouble accepting his ghosts, and for m...more

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