What do you think?
Haunted Islands in the Gulf of Maine
What is it about islands that make them ideal settings for ghost stories? Maybe it’s because an island is the perfect place to dispose of a body or bury treasure, or maybe there’s some truth to the lore than spirits cannot travel over water. Whatever the case, with over 3,000 coastal islands, Maine has more than its share of those that are haunted.
The proposed book features twenty-one haunted islands off the coast of Maine. A partial list of hauntings includes the
Outer Heron Death, panic, and mysterious fog plague this island, which is home to a vengeful ghost guarding a lost grave and a legendary treasure linked to a sea cave embellished in strange hieroglyphics.
Swan’s A number of ghosts haunt Swan’s Island, but the most noteworthy is a spirit appearing as a young, disoriented girl who leads people to the cemetery in the village of Atlantic and then mysteriously disappears before anyone discovers her grave.
Mount Desert The station at this remote rock in the ocean contains a demonic spirit that targets anyone who spends the night in one particular room, inducing petrifying dreams that reenact a tragedy that took place there.
Roque This private island, which contains a mile-long white sand beach, is inhabited by the ghosts of a 19th century patriarch, a maid, and a young boy known as Gus, who spent his life in a cage due to incurable madness.
Sable The graveyard of the Atlantic, with more 350 shipwrecks, Sable Island is haunted by the spirits of those who drowned there, those who were left to fend for themselves in a bloody penal colony, and two women, one who was murdered, and one whose lifeless body was desecrated to remove the ring she wore.
The proposed book features twenty-one haunted islands off the coast of Maine. A partial list of hauntings includes the
Outer Heron Death, panic, and mysterious fog plague this island, which is home to a vengeful ghost guarding a lost grave and a legendary treasure linked to a sea cave embellished in strange hieroglyphics.
Swan’s A number of ghosts haunt Swan’s Island, but the most noteworthy is a spirit appearing as a young, disoriented girl who leads people to the cemetery in the village of Atlantic and then mysteriously disappears before anyone discovers her grave.
Mount Desert The station at this remote rock in the ocean contains a demonic spirit that targets anyone who spends the night in one particular room, inducing petrifying dreams that reenact a tragedy that took place there.
Roque This private island, which contains a mile-long white sand beach, is inhabited by the ghosts of a 19th century patriarch, a maid, and a young boy known as Gus, who spent his life in a cage due to incurable madness.
Sable The graveyard of the Atlantic, with more 350 shipwrecks, Sable Island is haunted by the spirits of those who drowned there, those who were left to fend for themselves in a bloody penal colony, and two women, one who was murdered, and one whose lifeless body was desecrated to remove the ring she wore.
- GenresNonfiction
156 pages, Paperback
First published July 1, 2017
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews
December 28, 2022
Haunted Islands in the Gulf of Maine, by Marcus LiBrizzi, seized our imagination, compelling us to attend to ghostly encounters and attend to spirits long departed.
For writers and readers interested in northern New England, these selections, drawn from the rich, often macabre, history of Maine inspire and dare readers to enter shadows lurking along the coast of Maine.
Lynn and I continue our investigations into the confluence of fiction, nonfiction, and performance in the “A Gathering of Shadows” and “Deep Shadows” series for fiction writers.
Whether it be more familiar hauntings or Native American accounts of spirits or Tumtumses, Wanacomeses,—Little People of the Rocks, tales such as LiBrizzi’s final chapters kindled desires to draw on these coastal islands and return to write our own tales. Four Stars for inspiring uncertainties. Keep a nightlight on for these tales ;)
For writers and readers interested in northern New England, these selections, drawn from the rich, often macabre, history of Maine inspire and dare readers to enter shadows lurking along the coast of Maine.
Lynn and I continue our investigations into the confluence of fiction, nonfiction, and performance in the “A Gathering of Shadows” and “Deep Shadows” series for fiction writers.
Whether it be more familiar hauntings or Native American accounts of spirits or Tumtumses, Wanacomeses,—Little People of the Rocks, tales such as LiBrizzi’s final chapters kindled desires to draw on these coastal islands and return to write our own tales. Four Stars for inspiring uncertainties. Keep a nightlight on for these tales ;)
July 27, 2017
Absolutely fantastic little book. I learned a lot not just about the hauntings but about the history of my state. I've read a lot of ghost books over the years and this one had really great narration and prose.
5stars. Would recommend if you like ghost books.
5stars. Would recommend if you like ghost books.
January 30, 2023
This book was recommended to me by both Michael Dean and Lynn Edwards, who I share a common interest in Maine.
Maine itself has a very long history, going back to its original native peoples. The Europeans started to arrive in the late 16th and early 17th Centuries, and eventually Maine became a province of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and later part the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after the American Revolution.
Although it has a long history of being occupied by humans, to this day Maine's population remains relatively sparse. This may well add to the eeriness of the settings of these chilling ghost stories and legends that Mr. LiBrizzi lays out in this relatively short but well written book.
The author gets right to it from page one. The book covers 18 coastal islands, starting as far south as York County, ending all the way up to Sable Island, which is over 350 miles from the eastern tip of Maine.
No spoilers here, but each island has its own unique story of ghosts/paranormal activity. They range from the benevolent to the down right evil and violent. Mr. LiBrizzi's descriptions of each location helps immensely as he seems to put the reader in the middle of every story he tells. His writing is simple yet concise, which is perfect for relaying ghost stories.
The references at the end of the book are helpful as the reader may want read up on those themselves to expand their knowledge on the subject. The references also include documented info on relatively recent interviews of the locals of each area.
One also wonders if native Mainer Stephen King was at all influenced and inspired by any of these legends, many that go back to the time of Native Americans of the area.
Anyone interested ghost stories, especially with coastal Maine as their setting, I would highly recommend picking up this book and giving it a try.
Maine itself has a very long history, going back to its original native peoples. The Europeans started to arrive in the late 16th and early 17th Centuries, and eventually Maine became a province of the Massachusetts Bay Colony and later part the Commonwealth of Massachusetts after the American Revolution.
Although it has a long history of being occupied by humans, to this day Maine's population remains relatively sparse. This may well add to the eeriness of the settings of these chilling ghost stories and legends that Mr. LiBrizzi lays out in this relatively short but well written book.
The author gets right to it from page one. The book covers 18 coastal islands, starting as far south as York County, ending all the way up to Sable Island, which is over 350 miles from the eastern tip of Maine.
No spoilers here, but each island has its own unique story of ghosts/paranormal activity. They range from the benevolent to the down right evil and violent. Mr. LiBrizzi's descriptions of each location helps immensely as he seems to put the reader in the middle of every story he tells. His writing is simple yet concise, which is perfect for relaying ghost stories.
The references at the end of the book are helpful as the reader may want read up on those themselves to expand their knowledge on the subject. The references also include documented info on relatively recent interviews of the locals of each area.
One also wonders if native Mainer Stephen King was at all influenced and inspired by any of these legends, many that go back to the time of Native Americans of the area.
Anyone interested ghost stories, especially with coastal Maine as their setting, I would highly recommend picking up this book and giving it a try.
January 26, 2019
This book had some good stories in it. It was very clear the author had some favorites, because those got some flourish, like the Boon Island lighthouse-keeper's wife or the miner's house. Others were told more or less straight, which I find less spooky and entertaining than those that are dressed up a bit! I think that comes down to what you would want to get from the book, though.
August 29, 2021
Some stories were interesting and "scary", but most were not. Maine is a place I would like to visit someday and so maybe I'll check out some of these places to see where hauntings supposedly took place. I read the audio book and the reader seemed to be a drama queen and sounded like a cheezy Carnival caller.
December 30, 2022
Many of these stories are shocking and frightening. The fact that one of the islands is now so foreboding and dangerous to human beings the mysteries of why must still be explored, discussed, and discovered.
January 9, 2024
A good book to learn about some of the haunted islands in Maine
Displaying 1 - 7 of 7 reviews