There are histories that are recorded and histories that are felt. Not in dates or documents, but in the way the air shifts, the sense of a presence, the inexplicable certainty that a place remembers more than it reveals. So, when we walk through a landscape shaped by centuries, are we ever truly alone?
Two memorable stories by Helen Hollick and Kathy Hollick are part of our historical fiction anthology Courage: Tales of History, Mystery and Hope.
Today I turn to Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits of North Devon by Helen Hollick and Kathy Hollick, a Devon travel guide that resists the theatrics of the supernatural and instead offers something far more enduring: the suggestion that the past does not haunt, it remains.
Set within the layered landscape of North Devon, the book unfolds as a lively journey through place rather than a catalogue of fright. From narrow hedged lanes to the wide solitude of Exmoor, from timeworn inns to the intimate space of the authors’ own farmhouse, each encounter is rooted in location. And it is precisely this grounding that gives the narrative its authority.
The stories from Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon are not adrift in imagination; they are observed and, above all, lived.
What distinguishes this collection is its tone. There is no urgency to convince, no reliance on spectacle. Instead, Helen Hollick and Kathy Hollick approach each presence with measured curiosity. A grieving young woman, a dutiful farmhand, a man forever bound to his final errand — these are not apparitions to be feared, but lives interrupted, emotions unfinished. Even the more unsettling encounters are handled with restraint, shaped by empathy rather than alarm.
And history is never absent. Each account is gently contextualised, drawing the reader into the rhythms of rural life, the echoes of national upheaval, the quiet tragedies that ripple outward through time. The result is a narrative that feels intimate, where the boundary between past and present is not forcefully broken but naturally thinned.
There is also a subtle argument at the heart of this book.
Against the noise of modern ghost-hunting and its appetite for spectacle, the authors offer a solid perspective: that what lingers does so not to terrify, but to be acknowledged. Memory, after all, does not vanish simply because time has passed. Isn’t it?
Ghost Encounters: The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon is not a book that demands belief. It is a volume that invites reflection. It asks the reader to consider whether history is ever truly absent or whether, in certain places, it simply chooses to remain close – as is evident through the large array of lavish black and white photographs included in it.
So I leave you with this question to ponder: when we walk through a landscape shaped by centuries, are we ever truly alone?
BUY LINKS: Amazon US / Amazon UK
In GHOST ENCOUNTERS, The Lingering Spirits Of North Devon , mother and daughter writers share their personal experiences, dispelling the belief that spirits are to be feared.
#HistoricalFiction #ParanormalHistory #BookReview #TuesdayBookBlog #TravelBook Where the Past Walks Beside Us
Thanks for visiting my site. I would be thrilled if you’d write a guest blog post for my site. If you think it might be fun or helpful to have my followers (who total about 10k across my various social media) meet you, here’s the link for general guidelines:
https://wp.me/p6OZAy-1SOc
Thank you for thinking of me and for visiting. I will try 🙂
wonderful! please email me if you have any questions or when you’re ready – contactdaal@gmail.com
Replying for myself and Kathy: thanks for this post Patricia, your understanding of what we were trying to convey is 100% spot on!
There is a downside to living with ‘ghosts’ however – while watching a recent BBC TV drama series based on Jane Austen, our ‘residents’ held a commentary on what was depicted wrong. Well, they would know about the detail of costume and etiquette – they lived in our house in the early 1800s. It comes to something, though, when your household ghosts like to watch whatever is on TV! laugh
I enjoyed the seriousness and respect with which you tackled the Devon spirits, Helen. It made their tales all the more credible and interesting. You did not try to turn their stories into a spectacle. So much this is done lately, I can see it happening in my home country.
Now, I suppose living-in ghosts is something you get used to. 🙂 Wow, I got a shiver.
Ha! That makes watching TV even more fun. What do the ghosts think? 🙂
An enjoyable read, by the way. And I say that as someone who has also shared life in old cottages with resident ghosts. Fortunately, always the nice kind…
Oh, my, so glad to hear that, the nice kind 🙂
I think spirits are always around us, and if people can “tune in” a little, perhaps they can know that and acknowledge the spirits. The circus of “ghost-hunters” is just annoying!
I agree, there’s a difference between reverence and spectacle. Some people seem more attuned to the unseen aspects of life, and whether one calls them spirits, memories, or intuition, those experiences can feel deeply personal and meaningful. As is the case withbthis book, and I adored this aspect of it.
What bothers me too is when ghost-hunting turns it all into loud entertainment rather than quiet reflection and respect for the unknown.
Thank you for visiting and commenting. 🙂
We took a nighttime “ghost tour” once around Old Town San Diego, which was interesting and a little bit spooky in a low-key kind of way. The only odd thing that happened was when my wife took a picture inside the Whaley House, AKA “The Most Haunted House in America”, of an archway in the living room that was built on the site of the old gallows, the picture came out completely black. It was a digital camera with a built-in lens cover that retracted automatically when you turned it on, so we know it’s not because she forgot to remove the lens cap …
Oh, my, and there’s only one plausable explanation then.
I never went on such a tour. I believe there are places inhabited by ghosts, such as the ones described in this book about Devon. And I know there are many such places in my native Romania too
Yours was an extraordinary encounter and I appreciate you sharing it with us here.
Well, I can’t be completely impartial about this fascinating book, because I contributed a North Devon “ghost story” from my own childhood after Helen and Kathy shared their experiences. An absolutely fascinating book for believers and sceptics alike – and a great travelogue to a beautiful spot in England.
Yes, I especially loved the travelogue aspect too. It’s remarkable how place itself becomes part of the mystery, much like the atmosphere woven through Transylvania’s landscapes and legends. Thank you for visiting.