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Dusty Waters: A Ghost Story

Laura J.W. Ryan

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Apr 09, 2010 Katherine Marple rated it it was amazing

Dusty Waters is a 5 star read. We meet Dusty in her 40s (I think?) and she is somewhat of a hippie in that she stands up against the government through her songs and her unashamed preaching. She is smart and has lived a life. Her childhood friend, Katharine, is writing a book about Dusty (now that Dusty is a famous folk singer) and "Dusty Waters: a ghost story" is a mixture of the interviews that Dusty and Katharine share, and the back stories that Dusty tells in first person narrative. Always i Dusty Waters is a 5 star read. We meet Dusty in her 40s (I think?) and she is somewhat of a hippie in that she stands up against the government through her songs and her unashamed preaching. She is smart and has lived a life. Her childhood friend, Katharine, is writing a book about Dusty (now that Dusty is a famous folk singer) and "Dusty Waters: a ghost story" is a mixture of the interviews that Dusty and Katharine share, and the back stories that Dusty tells in first person narrative. Always intense, realistic conversations, fully-body characters and I loved every one of them.

Dusty sees dead people. No, not in a "Sixth Sense" sorta way, but just in that she can see the ghosts of people who have yet to move on with their "lives". Many of the dead will live the same last moments over and over again, dying over and over. Or some will wait in a certain place where they felt most comfortable in their living "life"... for someone, or something. Dusty sees these spirits- ever since she was a child (of about 4 years) and her father suddenly died of an anuerism at the breakfast table. After he died, she could still see her father sitting at the breakfast table for 3 years, until they moved back to a family heirloom of a house that got passed down from generation to generation.

At the "new" house where Dusty's mother grew up, Dusty can see all of her ancestors trapped inside the house. But, it's not in a scary way. Some of them died brutal, mis-informed deaths, but none wished ill-will to Dusty. The ghosts were so trapped inside their own misery or solitude, that most didn't even notice that Dusty could see them.

Dusty Waters is about self-discovery, trusting one's instincts, true love, growing up in war, losing family members, growing up, and being true to oneself.

The only issue I had with the book was it seems to be marketed as a Ghost Story- as in a horror book. Even the cover art looks a little creepy. "Dusty Waters" has ghosts in it, sure, but it's not ABOUT the ghosts. It's so much more than that. If I could change anything about this book, it would be the cover and the marketing strategy. Because "Dusty Waters" is not scary... it's beautiful. ...more

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Jun 27, 2009 Laura rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author)

Shelves: books-that-i-wrote, book-covers-with-my-artwork

I can’t really call this a review as this is my own book, but as I reflect on it four years after its publication, I still love it, and have found the reactions of readers very interesting — no surprises. Dusty Waters, A Ghost Story is a literary fiction novel, it is not the usual ghost story with a haunted house — oh, yes, Tanglewood is very haunted, but it’s a ghost story as much about life as it is about death. It’s a coming of age story and a story about coming to terms with the past. Dusty ...more

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Nov 19, 2010 Laura rated it it was amazing · (Review from the author) · review of another edition

Shelves: books-that-i-wrote, book-covers-with-my-artwork, ghost-stories

Well, I've gone and done it...I have created an e-book...for now, exclusively for the B&N Nook. Same book as the paperback original, just as a Nook Book. Dusty Waters is a unique book, and I hope you enjoy her! ...more

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May 09, 2010 E.J. Stevens marked it as to-read

Jan 15, 2011 Jen Knox marked it as to-read

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