Wonderful Strange: Ghosts, Fairies, and Fabulous Beasties

by Dale Jarvis

Newfoundland and Labrador is blessed with more fairies, devils, old hags, phantoms, Jacky Lanterns, sea monsters, and other fabulous and frightening creatures than any other spot in Canada. Author and researcher Dale Jarvis, creator of the award-winning St. John's Haunted Hike, has pulled together a compendium of strange tales about the even stranger spectres, sprites, and curious beasties that inhabit the province's shores. From Signal Hill's headless ghost to the Northern Peninsula's Isle of Demons to the fairy paths of the Southern Shore, Wonderful Strange is your guide to encounters with the unexplained.

Genres: Nonfiction, Philosophy

216 pages, Paperback

First published June 7, 2005

About the author

Dale Gilbert Jarvis is a folklorist, researcher, writer and storyteller living and working in St. John’s. He holds a B.Sc. (honours) in anthropology from Trent University and an MA in folklore from Memorial University of Newfoundland. He is the Executive Director of the Heritage Foundation of Newfoundland and Labrador. By night, Dale is the proprietor of the St. John’s Haunted Hike ghost tour and raconteur of local tales. Author of several books on Newfoundland and Labrador ghost stories and folklore, he is a tireless promoter of local culture.

Reviews

[Xondra Day · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great combination of history and lore.

[Jerry Cranford · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Wonderful Strange is a very well-written, entertaining and informative book and will provide an excellent guide for anyone wishing to explore the ghostly experience in many Newfoundland and Labrador communities." -- The Telegram

"A valuable contribution to the folklore of the Canadian maritimes." -- Fate magazine

". . . I wouldn't dare pick up his [Dale Jarvis'] book past a certain hour in the evening." -- Downhome

"[Dale Jarvis's] skillful blending of local history, folklore and some very good storytelling results in a book worth more than just a casual reading." -- Canadian Folk Music

"Told with a flair that will entice young and old alike . . ." -- The Newfoundland Herald

"Frightening (but fascinating) mysteries . . ." -- Canadian Book Review Annual

[Noelle Walsh · Rating 5 out of 5]

I love this book! It's filled to bursting of amazing stories and Dale Jarvis tells the with such skill! I told a friend of mine in America some of these stories and she really enjoyed them! This book is a definite must-read!