Ghosts of Lincoln

October 12, 2015
Selzer (Play Me Backwards), a novelist, historian, and ghost investigator, explores the paranormal in Abraham Lincoln's life and death in this unbiased but unexpectedly dull book. Unsurprisingly, Lincoln's ghost is rumored to haunt multiple locations in the U.S.; what are less well-known are the rumors of his involvement in spiritualism during his life. Selzer comprehensively covers the paranormal in the lives of Lincoln and those related to him, including premonitions of his assassination, visions of ghostly funeral trains and rides on flying pianos, and First Lady Mary Todd Lincoln's fascination with séances and spirit photos. With an open mind towards the phenomena, Selzer uses dates and other hard facts to consider whether the stories have any basis in truth. Unfortunately, though his research into the stories is to be appreciated, his simplistic views of history lay a rocky foundation, and he is prone to discussing a topic to death, as with his endless exploration of Lincoln's premonition of his own assassination via a mirror. The book picks up in the second half, discussing events after Lincoln's death, but those looking for spooky legends or engaging popular history will be disappointed. Agent: Adrienne Rosado, Nancy Yost Literary Agency.