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Thirteen Ghosts #1
Thirteen Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey
Jeffrey is the mischievous "something" that has headquarters in the Windham home in Selma, Alabama. He first made his presence known in October 1966, and since then he has continued, at irregular and infrequent intervals, to clump down the hall, slam doors, rock in a chair, frighten the family cat (now deceased, through no fault of Jeffrey), move heavy pieces of furniture, cause electronic equipment to malfunction, and hide objects. He frequently accompanies Mrs. Windham on her travels, and tales of Jeffrey's antics are widely recounted.
120 pages, Paperback
First published May 15, 2014
42 people are currently reading
584 people want to read
About the author
Kathryn Tucker Windham
51 books46 followersKathryn Tucker Windham was an American storyteller, author, photographer, and journalist.
Windham got her first writing job at the age of 12, reviewing movies for her cousin's small town newspaper, The Thomasville Times. She earned a B.A. degree from Huntingdon College in 1939. Soon after graduating she became a reporter for the Alabama Journal. Starting in 1944 she worked for The Birmingham News. In 1946 she married Amasa Benjamin Windham with whom she had three children. In 1956 she went to work at the Selma Times-Journal where she won several Associated Press awards for her writing and photography. A collection of her photographs is on display at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. She died on June 12, 2011. The 2004 documentary film, Kathryn: The Story of a Teller, directed by Norton Dill, chronicles Windham's life and varied careers.
Windham got her first writing job at the age of 12, reviewing movies for her cousin's small town newspaper, The Thomasville Times. She earned a B.A. degree from Huntingdon College in 1939. Soon after graduating she became a reporter for the Alabama Journal. Starting in 1944 she worked for The Birmingham News. In 1946 she married Amasa Benjamin Windham with whom she had three children. In 1956 she went to work at the Selma Times-Journal where she won several Associated Press awards for her writing and photography. A collection of her photographs is on display at the Montgomery Museum of Fine Arts. She died on June 12, 2011. The 2004 documentary film, Kathryn: The Story of a Teller, directed by Norton Dill, chronicles Windham's life and varied careers.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews
October 1, 2017
This collection of the ghost stories culled from many story-telling sessions around the State of Alabama by the wonderful Kathryn Tucker Windham can easily be read in a single setting, but why hurry? It's a delightful collection of ghost stories in the classic folkloric tradition; tales passed down from person to person over the generations until multiple versions exist. Are they true? Maybe, maybe not, but is that really the important thing. I think it gives us insights, if not into the lives out ancestors lived, at least into the live we wished they lived. Was Henry Wells killed by lightning as some people tell, or was he a victim of Judge Lynch as others believe? Was every gallant young Confederate's death in battle a seed that grew into a tragic haunting? Probably not but it sure makes thinking about it interesting.
The only thing that would make these stories more entertaining is if we could hear them told by Ms. Windham herself, perhaps while sitting around a fire on a dark and stormy night. Sadly she has passed on so that it a pleasure I will never experience. Well, that's not entirely true. Thanks to YouTube, many of these stories can be listened to by the author herself. Of course, you'll have to arrange the fireplace yourself.
The only thing that would make these stories more entertaining is if we could hear them told by Ms. Windham herself, perhaps while sitting around a fire on a dark and stormy night. Sadly she has passed on so that it a pleasure I will never experience. Well, that's not entirely true. Thanks to YouTube, many of these stories can be listened to by the author herself. Of course, you'll have to arrange the fireplace yourself.
October 30, 2017
With Halloween right around the corner, if you are looking for a great collection of ghost stories which a strong historical context 13 Alabama Ghosts and Jeffrey is a wonderful read. These ghostly tales have historical significance in various places in the South and the author has such an engaging way of setting the mood and atmosphere of each story. As other reviewers have mentioned, these stories are meant to told or read aloud, preferably with a spooky backdrop or setting. Within some of the tales are elements of tragic events that lead to ill-fated circumstances and sometimes vengeful haunts returning to a scene. “The Hole That Will Not Stay Filled” was my favorite of the bunch.
November 7, 2017
What a treasure Kathryn Tucker Windham was. I listened and watched her narrate these stories on YouTube at different "haunted" locations in Alabama when I was having trouble locating a copy of the actual book. I'm glad I never found the written copy. Mrs. Windham was so charming in the video and had this wonderful accent and straw hat. Thirteen Alabama Ghosts was a fun pre-Halloween read and an interesting lesson in Alabama history. I'd like to visit some of the places in this book to see if the ghosts live on.
October 12, 2017
This is a great October read. I suggest reading it slow but that's not my nature.
July 1, 2008
The first in a series of old-fashioned, Southern storytelling by Mrs. Katherine Tucker Windham.
I was so honored to listen to her speak at my college my senior. Her stories are filled with even more life when presented orally.
I read this book in the 5th grade. After reading the first tale, I was hooked.
Usually a scaredy cat, I was hesitant to check the book out. But our teacher had recommended that we read the book since Mrs. Windham was gaining noteriety as a Southern woman writer and as a journalist/photo journalist during the Civil Rights movement.
Being all of 10 years old, I refused to read the book at night. Out of fear my old Victorian house would become haunted.
Compared to the entire series, this book had several less-than-captivating stories. The two favorites that come to mind are: "Huntingdon College's Red Lady" and "The Face in the Courthouse Window".
Scary stuff for a 10 year old!
Now, at 23, I cherish the spark this series instilled in me. To appreciate local history and tradition, and to always be curious.
A lot can be learned by a culture from it's folklore. And the South was lucky enough to have those tales documented by Mrs. Windham.
I was so honored to listen to her speak at my college my senior. Her stories are filled with even more life when presented orally.
I read this book in the 5th grade. After reading the first tale, I was hooked.
Usually a scaredy cat, I was hesitant to check the book out. But our teacher had recommended that we read the book since Mrs. Windham was gaining noteriety as a Southern woman writer and as a journalist/photo journalist during the Civil Rights movement.
Being all of 10 years old, I refused to read the book at night. Out of fear my old Victorian house would become haunted.
Compared to the entire series, this book had several less-than-captivating stories. The two favorites that come to mind are: "Huntingdon College's Red Lady" and "The Face in the Courthouse Window".
Scary stuff for a 10 year old!
Now, at 23, I cherish the spark this series instilled in me. To appreciate local history and tradition, and to always be curious.
A lot can be learned by a culture from it's folklore. And the South was lucky enough to have those tales documented by Mrs. Windham.
November 7, 2010
I grew up enjoying hearing Kathryn Tucker Windham tell storied in my elementary classrooms! She got me hooked on storytelling, and maybe even on ghost stories too. Since I grew up in Alabama, this book was the first of Windham's that I read, so it holds a special place in my heart.
February 26, 2012
I loved hearing her tell stories! As a child I got to hear her at school and at libraries. And as an adult I would take time every Friday to hear her tell a story on Alabama Public Radio. She is a legend!
August 4, 2007
Come on - admit it. You have great memories of these books, too.
September 20, 2008
Some of these stories actually scared me as a kid. I'd still like to see the window in the courthouse.
June 20, 2010
My favorite childhood book.
October 2, 2015
Read this years ago and loved it, of course. I live in Alabama. Some fun reading here. I grew up near Tuscaloosa and this was popular with all my friends.
March 11, 2021
I did want to say something about having picked this up. This was a ghost short story collection that was a very common read-aloud in the library where I went to elementary school, and the author, who is long-deceased, was very popular and has a number of books. This is the particular one I wanted to revisit because I was trying to remember the details of a story.
For me, the book didn't pass the test of time. The stories have a ring of reminiscence for the Confederate / antebellum period and not just in the sense of using outdated terms like 'slave' and 'Negro', but a bit of the Glorious Cause myth that I found it hard to overlook. Fortunately, to find the story I was looking for I only needed to read part way through. Then I was stunned.
The story is of a Black man who was killed in a lynching in the 1870s because someone needed to bear responsibility for the destruction of the local courthouse, and because even though it could not even be proved that he was in the area, he was as good of a candidate as any. The ghost story legend is that his face continues to be seen in the courthouse window. These books were written in the 1960s or so, and this being local, it was a legend I had heard as a child.
I'm glad I revisited it and also sad. I hope the world has changed some since I was a child, and this book reminds me that I have growth to do and more to think about and more to change. I don't know how this could fit into a classroom now.
I don't recommend the book, I don't think it has aged well for me.
For me, the book didn't pass the test of time. The stories have a ring of reminiscence for the Confederate / antebellum period and not just in the sense of using outdated terms like 'slave' and 'Negro', but a bit of the Glorious Cause myth that I found it hard to overlook. Fortunately, to find the story I was looking for I only needed to read part way through. Then I was stunned.
The story is of a Black man who was killed in a lynching in the 1870s because someone needed to bear responsibility for the destruction of the local courthouse, and because even though it could not even be proved that he was in the area, he was as good of a candidate as any. The ghost story legend is that his face continues to be seen in the courthouse window. These books were written in the 1960s or so, and this being local, it was a legend I had heard as a child.
I'm glad I revisited it and also sad. I hope the world has changed some since I was a child, and this book reminds me that I have growth to do and more to think about and more to change. I don't know how this could fit into a classroom now.
I don't recommend the book, I don't think it has aged well for me.
July 31, 2022
3.5 stars. I loved these as a kid, but reading these as an adult I definitely see them as a product of the time in which they were written. When I was an undergrad I crossed the Tombigbee going between home and my university, and I thought about that freaking riverboat almost every time.
December 8, 2014
I remember reading this in grade school! Growing up in Alabama, we all thought this was the coolest book back in fifth grade. I remember we all took turns checking it out of the library! I wished I stilled in Alabama and could of shared this book with my kids.
June 24, 2013
i have read this several times through the years! the first time i read it was in elementary school!
May 4, 2016
I loved reading this book as a kid and I found out I loved it just as much as an adult. Everything I love about Alabama history and Southern folklore is in this book.
February 27, 2020
I remember seeing this book in the library of my elementary school when I was a kid. I don't remember if I had ever read it back then or not, so I decided to give it a shot. It seemed interesting to me as a kid, and it still does today, that most ghost stories seem to be based in the 19th century, and this book is no exception. Maybe the people from that time period had more active imaginations and no other ways to entertain themselves?
Some of these stories are chilling but are generally tame as far as ghost stories go. The illustrations are of a vintage quality and enhance the 19th century feel of the book. With that said, I think they would have been quite scary to hear or read in the same period in which they allegedly occurred... especially while thinking about it and lying in the still, quiet night, trying to fall asleep. And so, even though this seems to be widely considered a children's book, I still tried to read most of this book while it was daylight outside. A few of these were really creepy, like the face in the window of the Pickens County Courthouse, or the blue-gowned lady that appeared multiple times in Rocky Hill Castle in Courtland (and even spoke once!), or the ghost who tucked in the children at The Drish Home in Tuscaloosa.
Recommended reading at your next campfire?
Some of these stories are chilling but are generally tame as far as ghost stories go. The illustrations are of a vintage quality and enhance the 19th century feel of the book. With that said, I think they would have been quite scary to hear or read in the same period in which they allegedly occurred... especially while thinking about it and lying in the still, quiet night, trying to fall asleep. And so, even though this seems to be widely considered a children's book, I still tried to read most of this book while it was daylight outside. A few of these were really creepy, like the face in the window of the Pickens County Courthouse, or the blue-gowned lady that appeared multiple times in Rocky Hill Castle in Courtland (and even spoke once!), or the ghost who tucked in the children at The Drish Home in Tuscaloosa.
Recommended reading at your next campfire?
November 10, 2019
I've always enjoyed spooky supernatural stories, and Thirteen Alabama Ghosts and Jefferey is no exception. What makes Kathryn's book unique are the photographs of the places she wrote about, illustrations, and historical context.
Thirteen Alabama Ghosts shows the way people used to live and their attitudes of the times. Some of this shows up in the racial language of the day-Negro man or Negro children instead of their names. Most stories are fun, but there are the more darker sides to life, which the book explores such as murder, (incliding lynching,) and suicide. I did give a few disclaimers before handing it over to my middle school aged son to read. (He loved it!)
Kathryn Tucker Windham has a conversation tone to her writing, making you feel at ease, like old friends picking up where they left off. And especially hartwearming are letters from Kathryn's young adult children explaining their views on the book.
A fun and enlighting read!
Thirteen Alabama Ghosts shows the way people used to live and their attitudes of the times. Some of this shows up in the racial language of the day-Negro man or Negro children instead of their names. Most stories are fun, but there are the more darker sides to life, which the book explores such as murder, (incliding lynching,) and suicide. I did give a few disclaimers before handing it over to my middle school aged son to read. (He loved it!)
Kathryn Tucker Windham has a conversation tone to her writing, making you feel at ease, like old friends picking up where they left off. And especially hartwearming are letters from Kathryn's young adult children explaining their views on the book.
A fun and enlighting read!
August 6, 2021
They said ghosts were made up until now. Kathryn Windham's culmination of 13 ghost stories capture the audience with haunted tales as well as a healthy dose of Alabama history. The reader is engaged from page one with Windham's descriptive writing. It almost feels like she is talking to the reader with her attention to detail and accurate account of these historical tales. All of the different characters in the book have such unique stories in seeing ghosts such as Judge W. G. Cochrane from "Death Lights In The Tower", Martha from"The Red Lady Of Huntingdon College", and Sketoe from "The Hole That Will Not Stay Filled". There are so many stories of love, sacrifice and revenge and Windham tells these stories in her own Southern way. "The Ghost Of The Angry Architect", "The Return Of The Ruined Banker", and "The Faithful Vigil At Carlisle Hall" all display theses themes. This book is great for all ages because there is no violence nor bad words. Overall this is an excellent book.
December 21, 2025
So this is a book I am rereading, as this first time was in 4th grade which I checked out from the library. So the illustrations and photographs are great and really paint a picture of the tales of ghostly spirits. As a kid, as now, without the illustrations and photos the stories are as rich. They really help draw you in. And no, unfortunately I have wanted to go to some of these places but never for there, so I cannot confirm any of the stories, but really wanted to.
April 29, 2018
Definitely a classic, and a favorite of mine as a kid. Reading it as an adult I found it a bit less captivating. But still, it's well written and a couple of the stories had be gripping the book a bit tighter. I must have checked this book out of the school library a dozen times growing up, so I'm still pretty nostalgic about it.
February 18, 2023
I did enjoy this little collection of ghost stories. but I was a bit disappointed by lack of details. In spite of growing up in Alabama I never saw these books as they were before my time i9n school. From what I have read it is likely than every school child in Alabama read or heard these stories as it was a popular book with teachers and kids.
May 20, 2021
Kathryn came to Mississippi in the 1970's and gave a talk about Jeffrey and her books. I brought one of her books with me ( was a present) . Jeffrey Introduces 13 More southern Ghosts and she signed it. I love all her books.
March 27, 2022
Interesting overview of ghostly folk tales geared for young readers. I've known about this book for a couple decades, but those who grew up in Alabama typically read it in their youth. Enjoyed the sketches and learning tidbits about different areas in the state along with the hauntings.
July 6, 2017
One of my favorite authors and storytellers. The whole "13" set is outstanding. Alabama lost a gem when she passed.
October 23, 2019
Awesome!
November 4, 2019
Charming and enjoyable for the genre. A nice fast read. A fun change of pace.
February 3, 2020
I remember reading these as a kid and loved them. Rereading them as an adult is not as exciting, but they are still good stories.
October 12, 2020
I have loved the Jeffery books since Kathryn Tucker Windham read them to my class in school. I got a chance to introduce them to my children. I wish the books were easier to find.
October 30, 2021
Mentions of suicide and lynching, but nothing too spooky. Much like "13 More Ghosts" some of the most heinous moments are the people who commit murder, not the ghosts.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 42 reviews