Ghost Stories of Christmas

Ghost House Books

by Jo-Anne Christensen, Shelagh Kubish (Editor)

This collection of dramatically recreated true stories demonstrates that even ghosts have a weakness for the magic of Christmas. Journey with snowbound travellers through the Rocky Mountains, and warm yourself by the woodstove in a simple log home on the prairies. Celebrate the holidays with tales of generosity and fellowship from coast to coast. These Christmas ghost stories from across the nation capture the true spirit of the season.

Genres: Christmas, Ghost Stories, Short Stories, Nonfiction, Horror

224 pages, Paperback

First published October 1, 2001

Reviews

[Manybooks · Rating 4 out of 5]

Jo-Anne Christensen with her 2001 Ghost Stories of Christmas presents a collection of sixteen thematically delightful, sweetly retold holiday themed and indeed supposedly true short stories (and as such the bare bones of the featured tales for Ghost Stories of Christmas have of course been collected by Christensen). So Ghost Stories of Christmas demonstrates how ghosts obviously are also into providing Christmas magic and can thus often make the Yuletide season cheerful or at the very least more tolerable and thus no longer potentially dismal by providing comfort and necessary help to and for the living, not only with regard their nearest and dearest but sometimes also complete strangers. And yes, and for me quite majorly happily so, I personally do very much appreciate that (at least in my opinion) NONE of Christensen's featured tales for Ghost Stories of Christmas are spine-chilling, creepy or horrifying in any manner, that the sixteen accounts are thus not ever frightening, but are indeed and instead very often featuring sadness and painfulness that need to mitigated and rectified by supernatural means, by ghosts, angels and the like.

Therefore, for quite a large number of Jo-Anne Christensen's featured texts in Ghost Stories of Christmas, while I of course have not ever been left feeling scared, I have certainly been left feeling emotional and sometimes even somewhat mildly depressed, which I myself do not at all textually speaking mind but I guess I should warn potential readers that albeit none of the paranormal events and the apparitions etc. encountered in Ghost Stories of Christmas are horror-filled, there most definitely is some heartbreak or at least the potential for it to be encountered throughout Ghost Stories of Christmas, although yes, the majority of Ghost Stories of Christmas I have found absolutely magical, very nicely Christmas related and with ghosts that are generally friendly and very much a help and never an actual threat or a hinderance, any and all sadness, pain, emotional turmoil totally notwithstanding.

Oh and not to mention that Christensen also does a marvellous textual job regarding set-up, sense of place and that she equally knows how to portray both Christmas and winter realistically but at the same time nicely descriptively imaginatively, and that Ghost Stories of Christmas is for me suitable for readers from about the age of ten onwards (but with the caveat that while there are no creepiness, no gratuitous violence and no evil ghosts etc. in Ghost Stories of Christmas, some potentially heavy-duty issues and themes like poverty, death etc. are textually there and sometimes also quite prominently so).

But just to say in conclusion that even though Jo-Anne Christensen's set in both Canada and in the USA paranormal Christmas tales are according to her introduction representing real and authentic events and scenarios which actually happened, for me, even though I have very much enjoyed the vast majority of the tales (see above and that the only tale of Ghost Stories of Christmas I have not really enjoyed reading is A Savior at Sea since while the rescuing ghost is wonderful, his wife and the two main protagonists most definitely are totally annoying), the complete lack of secondary sources for me kind of makes me wonder just how "true" the stories of Ghost Stories of Christmas actually are and that at least for me, what Christensen has penned in Ghost Stories of Christmas is or at least feels kind of like more fiction than non-fiction (but is regarding reading joy and pleasure still solidly four stars and as such also nicely and warmly recommended).

[George Ilsley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Tis the season to be ... reading ghost stories?

The introduction mentions the completely valid tradition of ghost stories at Christmas — remember what happened to Mr. Scrooge?

This book is divided into sections: Gifts, Reunions, Miracles, Angels, and the stories are not the "wispy glimpse of something" type of ghost story, but more like the miraculous delivery of groceries for months from "a grocer who turned out to have died" type of ghost story.

A sceptical reader might develop the feeling that many of these stories have been massaged and worked up into much more substantial tales than they were at the beginning.

On the other hand, these are generous, heartwarming tales, and we all appreciate being uplifted at this time of year.

The book is readable, and entertaining provided one is not an overly serious curmudgeon. Unfortunately, I crave a touch of reality with my non-fiction, so rounded down to 3 stars — Bah, humbug!

[Beth Besso · Rating 4 out of 5]

I've read this book before, this is my third time re-reading it and it gives me warm and comforting vibes. Spirits giving family members reassurance, spirits helping others through a rough told or just saving or changing their lives. Although, I don't know if I believe in ghosts, I do believe in miracles and a lot of these stories are more about Christmas miracles. Even if these stories aren't true but more myths and legends, they're nice stories that can help people believe in the miracle of Christmas.

[Lorraine · Rating 4 out of 5]

I enjoyed these stories. They were short and made you believe in miracles. Good +

[Nazareth · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loved these!! Most of them.

[Susan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Cheerful stories of spirits, ghosts and angels that appear in various situations and circumstances to help people enjoy the true meaning of Christmas.

[Andrew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Admittedly this was INCREDIBLY saccharine but, if ever there were a season for unadulterated earnestness it would be this one.

I had a smile, shed a few tears, and thoroughly enjoyed this one.

[Celeste · Rating 4 out of 5]

Honestly I was hoping for something spooky but these were nice wholesome short stories.

[yellowbird · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was produced by an independent publisher, so it has a few rough edges. My copy has a story that's incomplete, even though the pages are numbered correctly. Also, the stories are based on bits of folklore from a variety of sources, and I would like to see the roots of the stories, especially where in the country or world they originated. Still, the stories are varied and interesting enough to keep the reader's attention. Not a must read, but a nice enough way to spend a couple hours.

[Tina Jarvis]

How do you open books to read in this program thank you :)

[Jess Saravia 🧚‍♀️✨ · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not sure about other readers, but one of the stories is incomplete. Nonetheless, though it has almost an identical cover to Ghost Stories, this one is written 100 times better.