Giving Up the Ghost

by Mary Logue

Published as a serial in the Star Tribune, June 9-July 28, 2013. All available as an eBook.

317 pages, ebook

First published May 14, 2013

Reviews

[William Hogan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Love Logue's Claire Watkins series, and saw this one on Fantastic Fiction.
Bought it on Kindle, and I'm glad that I did. It was a thoroughly enjoyable, well-written novel of a newly widowed young woman.
It touches on all the emotions from anger to guilt and beyond. Loved this one as much as I love the Claire Watkins series.

[Cary Griffith · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful twist on a ghost story. The main character, Wendy, is really narrating her love story while taking us through the profound landscape of her grief. There are interesting characters in an interesting setting and plenty of pain and reminiscence to go around. By graceful fits and starts we view Wendy and Richards' lives together; how they met, their first dates (less than spectacular), how they evolved. The novel's pacing is one of its most beautiful traits, both unexpected and filled with grace. One moment the narrator will be firmly planted in a Minnesota Fall in a Minnesota cabin on a Minnesota lake, with Winter's death knell just around the corner. The next, a gift of memory will spring us (and Wendy) back to a perfect meal, a perfect moment in their shared lives.

Again, perfect pacing all the way up to a perfect Thanksgiving dinner and just what Wendy needs.

Wendy is an embroiderer, and this recapitulation is perhaps the finest epitaph she has ever sewn.

[Monica Lee · Rating 4 out of 5]

The last installment of the novel appeared in yesterday’s paper. It’s done. I must have missed the obvious-in-retrospect “Last Installment” label on yesterday’s chapter.

A little part of me is saying, “That’s it?! That’s all there is to it?!” But upon reflection, I suppose author Mary Logue wrapped up the important loose ends of the main character’s grief over the sudden death of her artist husband and the mystery of his ghost haunting their cabin up north, and she leaves the details to the reader to interpret.

Primarily a story about love and loss, I was impressed with how a few paragraphs a day got me hooked on the story. Logue deftly created imaginative characters with a few words of description and dialogue. I appreciated the Minnesota details sprinkled throughout the narrative.

It was a satisfying read over the course of two months.

[Suzyberry · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read...simple, yet one that touches your heart. It takes you along on the grey clouds of loss and grief...honestly and emotionally true...moments will carry you into Wendy's loneliness and you will mourn with her and understand her need to stay away from others, tucked in the cozy, Minnesota, north-woods cabin until she really understands what 'the Ghost'...who she knows she must give up eventually...is trying to tell her. Spoiler here...ends abruptly and awkwardly, making me wonder if there is going to be a sequel to this story. Loved the people, well-defined, and beautifully placed within Wendy's life at perfect moments. I will now scout out more of Mary Logue's books. A satisfying read.

[Liz Blank · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love it when a serial comes along in the Star Tribune. This one was no different and a plesent surprise on a subject of grieving that I would not have picked for myself, however, now almost a year later with grief raging at my doorstep, I feel fortunate that I read this book. In a calmer time when greif is not raging, at least that was my case last summer, I could enjoy what I read and take it in and ponder. The pacing of a serial in nice too.

[Nancy · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read the serialized version in the Star Tribune. I agree with the editors that the structure of the book is ideal for serialization because of the short sections. But I was disappointed in the fact that the book moves so slowly, and each day's section seemed interchangeable with the day before. I think that I might have liked it better if I had read it in one sitting.

[Cheryl Jane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a wonderful story that made my heart ache with love, a great loss, sort of a mystery with a ghost and a kitten. Loved and treasured each day's installment in the Star Tribune. Today was the last installment and I am so going to miss Richard, Cloud and Wendy. Loved the visuals and emotions.

[Judy · Rating 3 out of 5]

At first I didn't think this was a good idea, to have it in the newspaper. But I felt this book worked well for this format. It is a light story, and I wld find myself looking for it in the paper. Or I wld keep the pages the story was on, to catch up w/ it on ano day.

[Carylnelson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Some interesting parallels to my life; almost eerie at times. I liked the book; the fact that she placed Lake Minnewaska near Brainerd was interesting

[Michelle Georges · Rating 3 out of 5]

Nice easy read. Kept me interested, characters were easy to identify with. Loved the local references.

[Gail Arne · Rating 1 out of 5]

Too simple and predictable. I was not engaged with the character or the ghost. Saving grace was references to places I know in Minnesota and the "up north" life style.

[Judy Evenson · Rating 2 out of 5]

a chapter by chapter read in the daily newspaper... easy to read but a bit superficial and not what it could have been...