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Don't Call Them Ghosts: The Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse- A True Story
In 1971, the author and her family moved into a historic home known as the Fontaine Manse. Two days after moving in, she and her husband had an extraordinary experience that left them with no doubt that unseen residents occupied the house, too.
This is the true story of how Kathleen McConnell came to know and care for the spirit children who lived in the attic of the Angel Girl, Buddy, and Baby. From playing ball with Kathleen, to saving her son Duncan from drowning, the spirit children became part of the McConnell family in ways big and small. Finally, a heart-wrenching dilemma triggered an unexpected and dramatic resolution to the spirit children's plight.
Don't Call Them Ghosts is an inspiring story of the transcendent and lasting power of a mother's love. Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) 2nd Runner Up for Biographical/Self Help category
This is the true story of how Kathleen McConnell came to know and care for the spirit children who lived in the attic of the Angel Girl, Buddy, and Baby. From playing ball with Kathleen, to saving her son Duncan from drowning, the spirit children became part of the McConnell family in ways big and small. Finally, a heart-wrenching dilemma triggered an unexpected and dramatic resolution to the spirit children's plight.
Don't Call Them Ghosts is an inspiring story of the transcendent and lasting power of a mother's love. Coalition of Visionary Resources (COVR) 2nd Runner Up for Biographical/Self Help category
264 pages, Paperback
First published August 1, 2004
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 67 reviews
September 11, 2007
i love ghosts stories and can usually put up with mediocre writing if the story is spooky enough. this is not one of those cases. the author is a terrible writer, often saying the same thing 20 different ways in multiple paragraphs. she constantly belittles herself and adds details you wish she hadn't- i don't need to know every little detail of her husband's physique or the contents of her son's diaper. not sure if i'll get all the way through this one...
February 27, 2009
Percayakah Anda akan adanya hantu? Kalau saya…hmmm, baca review-nya dulu ya :D Tapi kalau Anda penakut, segera tinggalkan halaman ini. A warning has just been spoken. Any anxiety caused by this review is no longer the reviewer’s responsibility. Hihihihihihi…..*kuntilanak beranak mode on*
Waktu kecil, saya sangat takut berada di tempat yang gelap karena saya merasa ada makhluk berwajah seram yang akan menangkap, menculik, atau mungkin mencelakakan saya. Mungkin hal ini terjadi karena anak tetangga saya pernah tiba-tiba menghilang dari siang hari bolong dan sampai sore tidak juga ditemukan. Seluruh penghuni kampung heboh dan bekerja sama mencari ke pelosok-pelosok kampung, tapi belum berhasil juga diketemukan. Sampai menjelang malam, dia akhirnya ditemukan sedang meringkuk linglung dan ketakutan dibawah rimbunnya pohon-pohon bambu. Hiiiiii…tempatnya sangat sepi, agak gelap karena tertutup pohon-pohon lebat. Muncul gosip kalau dia disembunyikan oleh makhluk halus. Halus??? Yukkk, baru diamplas kang?? :D
Saya percaya kalau mahluk halus (mulai dari sini akan saya sebut sebagai hantu, yuppp..hantu, itulah sebutan saya buat makhluk tersebut, masih lebih halus dari kata iblis kan) itu sesuatu yang seram (kadan-kadang), jahat dan menakutkan. Saya memang tidak bisa melihat wujud hantu-hantu ini, amit-amit…..saya tidak berminat, walau kadang-kadang ingin juga punya kemampuan itu. Tapi sepertinya saya bisa merasakan kehadirannya. Entahlah…apakah ini yang disebut dengan feeling me softly with their songs. Ini juga yang membuat saya (masih dimasa kecil) selalu mempunyai rasa was-was ketika berkunjung ke rumah almarhum kakek saya, sebuah rumah kayu berlantai dua. Saya sangat tidak nyaman ketika harus naik ke lantai dua, apalagi karena suasananya yang remang-remang mengundang cemas. Saya selalu merasa ada sesuatu yang mengawasi saya ketika beraktifitas disana. Sebisa mungkin, saya secepatnya menyelesaikan urusan di lantai dua tersebut dan segera kabur ke lantai bawah.
Tentu masih banyak kisah-kisah yang saya alami dimasa kecil yang berhubungan dengan dunia hantu ini. Mulai dari tempat pemandian yang katanya dijaga makhluk berwujud ular dengan kepala bergambar bintang (gaul bukan…ada ular bertato bintang, atau mungkin jenderalnya ular), sampai pekuburan yang ditumbuhi pohon yang sangat besar, saya tidak tahu jenis pohon apa, tapi katanya sudah berusia ratusan tahun.
Sampai kemudian saya pindah ke Jakarta, pengalaman dengan hantu ini semakin bertambah. Ternyata, hantu juga masuk kota jekk!! Seorang teman kuliah saya di Bogor mengirimkan sebuah email dengan subject:Gambar Hantu! Entah kenapa, pada saat itu saya sangat menggebu-gebu untuk segera membuka dan melihat seperti apakah wujud hantu itu. Sambil bercanda dengan kakak saya, kami memperhatian sebuah gambar yang memperlihatkan sesosok mahkluk melayang di sebuah koridor rumah sakit yang temaram, berpakaian putih, berambut panjang, dan sorot mata melotot penuh amarah. Tapi saya tidak menganggap gambar itu sebagai sesuatu yang menyeramkan, malah sebagai suatu gambar rekayasa yang menggelikan, sehingga saya pun tertawa beberapa saat karena hantu itu terlihat mencekik boneka.
Tawa reda ketika saya tiba-tiba mencium bau bunga melati di dalam kamar saya. Saya pikir, ada yang baru menyemprotkan pengharum udara di ruangan lain. Tapi ternyata tidak! Kemudian, saya menceritakan hal ini kepada saudara saya yang memang bisa melihat wujud hantu. Bau bunga melati itu semakin kuat tercium. Lalu, saudara saya itu tiba-tiba membuka pintu dapur dan pintu depan rumah dengan kasar. Gubrak! Gedebug! Kaing-kaing! Yang terakhir itu tentunya suara anjing kejepit pintu. Yang saya tidak mengerti adalah bau bunga itu pun perlahan menghilang dan sama sekali tidak tercium lagi.
Malam sudah menjelang dini hari, tapi saya tetap gelisah. Mata seolah enggan untuk terpejam. Saya merasa ada sesosok makhluk yang sedang berdiri mengawasi dari pintu (yang seperti ini juga pernah saya alami di tempat kos saya di Bandung). Terasa sangat menjengkelkan ketika “sesuatu” yang tidak dikehendaki kehadirannya, tiba-tiba muncul di kamar tidur yang adalah ruang pribadi? Dasar makhluk tidak tahu sopan santun!!! Sampai akhirnya, saya membanting pintu dan memutuskan pindah ke kamar lain, dan sukses terlelap.
Besoknya, saudara saya bercerita, kalau rumah kami telah dikunjungi salah satu hantu yang biasa mangkal di kampung sebelah komplek perumahan kami. Pemicunya adalah gambar hantu yang saya tampilkan dari email tadi. Dan katanya, dia memang sengaja menantang hantu tersebut untuk datang tengah malam, tapi sayangnya..hantunya sangat bodoh, tidak tahu alamat, jadi tersesat dan nongolnya di kamar saya. Sudah…sudah, pengalaman saya disudahi disini saja ya, bisa jadi cerbung kalau saya ceritakan disini. Mari berpindah ke bukunya Kathleen McConnell.
Dalam bukunya yang berjudul “Jangan Sebut Mereka Hantu”, Kathleen menuliskan kisah nyata yang dia alami sendiri. Kathleen beserta keluarganya baru pindah ke sebuah rumah tua yang mereka beli dengan harga sangat murah. Jadi kalau harga rumah terlalu murah dari harga yang semestinya, pikir-pikir dulu ya, mungkin ada sesuatu.. :p Dua hari setelah pindah, para hantu penghuni rumah tersebut langsung menunjukkan tanda kalau keluarga Kathleen tidak tinggal sendirian. Tanda-tanda berikutnya pun muncul dari hari ke hari. Cerita berjalan, waktu berlalu. Kathleen memutuskan bersahabat dengan tiga hantu penghuni rumahnya. Tiga hantu itu terdiri dari sesosok bayi, anak perempuan dan remaja laki-laki. Kathleen menganggap mereka sebagai “anak-anaknya yang lain”. Dia mencoba mengajak mereka berkomunikasi, memberikan mereka hadiah, dan lain-lain. Aneh memang! Malah, Duncan, anak Kathleen yang masih balita, bersahabat dengan hantu-hantu tersebut. Mereka bermain bersama karena Duncan ternyata bisa melihat mereka. Bahkan, hantu laki-laki itu yang menolong Duncan ketika hampir tenggelam di bak mandi.
Kathleen sampai melakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui asal-usul keluarga hantu itu, karena dia yakin kalau para hantu tersebut adalah anak-anak dari orang yang dulu tinggal di rumah tua itu, yakni Keluarga Fontaine. Kathleen merasa kalau dia tidak secara kebetulan membeli dan tinggal di rumah itu. Dia merasa mempunyai tugas untuk menyelesaikan sesuatu yang tidak tuntas di masa lalu, yang membuat ketiga hantu itu terperangkap dirumah mereka. Bukan hanya Kathleen yang mengalami peristiwa aneh dengan hantu-hantu itu, George (suaminya), Linda dan Mike (anak tirinya), Ward (anaknya) juga mengalami sesuatu yang aneh di rumah itu, tapi mereka memutuskan untuk menyimpannya dalam hati masing-masing. Mulai dari sepatu dan baju yang berpindah-pindah tempat, senjata yang disembunyikan di cerobong asap, suara-suara orang berlari-lari, perasaan yang tidak nyaman ketika ditinggal sendirian di rumah, dan lain-lain. Tapi, mereka tidak pernah membicarakan pengalaman masing-masing. Kathleen malah mengetahuinya setelah dia menuangkan pengalamannya ke dalam sebuah buku.
Bagaimana nasib para hantu anak-anak itu? Bagaimana pula dengan kehidupan Kathleen beserta suami dan anak-anak mereka? Tidak ada salahnya menjadikan buku ini sebagai bacaan ringan Anda. Tapi, maaf Kathleen, saya setuju dengan Linda, saya tetap menyebut makhluk seperti itu sebagai hantu. Karena mereka memang hantu!!!
Catatan : Saya tidak suka terjemahannya! Suerr!!!
Waktu kecil, saya sangat takut berada di tempat yang gelap karena saya merasa ada makhluk berwajah seram yang akan menangkap, menculik, atau mungkin mencelakakan saya. Mungkin hal ini terjadi karena anak tetangga saya pernah tiba-tiba menghilang dari siang hari bolong dan sampai sore tidak juga ditemukan. Seluruh penghuni kampung heboh dan bekerja sama mencari ke pelosok-pelosok kampung, tapi belum berhasil juga diketemukan. Sampai menjelang malam, dia akhirnya ditemukan sedang meringkuk linglung dan ketakutan dibawah rimbunnya pohon-pohon bambu. Hiiiiii…tempatnya sangat sepi, agak gelap karena tertutup pohon-pohon lebat. Muncul gosip kalau dia disembunyikan oleh makhluk halus. Halus??? Yukkk, baru diamplas kang?? :D
Saya percaya kalau mahluk halus (mulai dari sini akan saya sebut sebagai hantu, yuppp..hantu, itulah sebutan saya buat makhluk tersebut, masih lebih halus dari kata iblis kan) itu sesuatu yang seram (kadan-kadang), jahat dan menakutkan. Saya memang tidak bisa melihat wujud hantu-hantu ini, amit-amit…..saya tidak berminat, walau kadang-kadang ingin juga punya kemampuan itu. Tapi sepertinya saya bisa merasakan kehadirannya. Entahlah…apakah ini yang disebut dengan feeling me softly with their songs. Ini juga yang membuat saya (masih dimasa kecil) selalu mempunyai rasa was-was ketika berkunjung ke rumah almarhum kakek saya, sebuah rumah kayu berlantai dua. Saya sangat tidak nyaman ketika harus naik ke lantai dua, apalagi karena suasananya yang remang-remang mengundang cemas. Saya selalu merasa ada sesuatu yang mengawasi saya ketika beraktifitas disana. Sebisa mungkin, saya secepatnya menyelesaikan urusan di lantai dua tersebut dan segera kabur ke lantai bawah.
Tentu masih banyak kisah-kisah yang saya alami dimasa kecil yang berhubungan dengan dunia hantu ini. Mulai dari tempat pemandian yang katanya dijaga makhluk berwujud ular dengan kepala bergambar bintang (gaul bukan…ada ular bertato bintang, atau mungkin jenderalnya ular), sampai pekuburan yang ditumbuhi pohon yang sangat besar, saya tidak tahu jenis pohon apa, tapi katanya sudah berusia ratusan tahun.
Sampai kemudian saya pindah ke Jakarta, pengalaman dengan hantu ini semakin bertambah. Ternyata, hantu juga masuk kota jekk!! Seorang teman kuliah saya di Bogor mengirimkan sebuah email dengan subject:Gambar Hantu! Entah kenapa, pada saat itu saya sangat menggebu-gebu untuk segera membuka dan melihat seperti apakah wujud hantu itu. Sambil bercanda dengan kakak saya, kami memperhatian sebuah gambar yang memperlihatkan sesosok mahkluk melayang di sebuah koridor rumah sakit yang temaram, berpakaian putih, berambut panjang, dan sorot mata melotot penuh amarah. Tapi saya tidak menganggap gambar itu sebagai sesuatu yang menyeramkan, malah sebagai suatu gambar rekayasa yang menggelikan, sehingga saya pun tertawa beberapa saat karena hantu itu terlihat mencekik boneka.
Tawa reda ketika saya tiba-tiba mencium bau bunga melati di dalam kamar saya. Saya pikir, ada yang baru menyemprotkan pengharum udara di ruangan lain. Tapi ternyata tidak! Kemudian, saya menceritakan hal ini kepada saudara saya yang memang bisa melihat wujud hantu. Bau bunga melati itu semakin kuat tercium. Lalu, saudara saya itu tiba-tiba membuka pintu dapur dan pintu depan rumah dengan kasar. Gubrak! Gedebug! Kaing-kaing! Yang terakhir itu tentunya suara anjing kejepit pintu. Yang saya tidak mengerti adalah bau bunga itu pun perlahan menghilang dan sama sekali tidak tercium lagi.
Malam sudah menjelang dini hari, tapi saya tetap gelisah. Mata seolah enggan untuk terpejam. Saya merasa ada sesosok makhluk yang sedang berdiri mengawasi dari pintu (yang seperti ini juga pernah saya alami di tempat kos saya di Bandung). Terasa sangat menjengkelkan ketika “sesuatu” yang tidak dikehendaki kehadirannya, tiba-tiba muncul di kamar tidur yang adalah ruang pribadi? Dasar makhluk tidak tahu sopan santun!!! Sampai akhirnya, saya membanting pintu dan memutuskan pindah ke kamar lain, dan sukses terlelap.
Besoknya, saudara saya bercerita, kalau rumah kami telah dikunjungi salah satu hantu yang biasa mangkal di kampung sebelah komplek perumahan kami. Pemicunya adalah gambar hantu yang saya tampilkan dari email tadi. Dan katanya, dia memang sengaja menantang hantu tersebut untuk datang tengah malam, tapi sayangnya..hantunya sangat bodoh, tidak tahu alamat, jadi tersesat dan nongolnya di kamar saya. Sudah…sudah, pengalaman saya disudahi disini saja ya, bisa jadi cerbung kalau saya ceritakan disini. Mari berpindah ke bukunya Kathleen McConnell.
Dalam bukunya yang berjudul “Jangan Sebut Mereka Hantu”, Kathleen menuliskan kisah nyata yang dia alami sendiri. Kathleen beserta keluarganya baru pindah ke sebuah rumah tua yang mereka beli dengan harga sangat murah. Jadi kalau harga rumah terlalu murah dari harga yang semestinya, pikir-pikir dulu ya, mungkin ada sesuatu.. :p Dua hari setelah pindah, para hantu penghuni rumah tersebut langsung menunjukkan tanda kalau keluarga Kathleen tidak tinggal sendirian. Tanda-tanda berikutnya pun muncul dari hari ke hari. Cerita berjalan, waktu berlalu. Kathleen memutuskan bersahabat dengan tiga hantu penghuni rumahnya. Tiga hantu itu terdiri dari sesosok bayi, anak perempuan dan remaja laki-laki. Kathleen menganggap mereka sebagai “anak-anaknya yang lain”. Dia mencoba mengajak mereka berkomunikasi, memberikan mereka hadiah, dan lain-lain. Aneh memang! Malah, Duncan, anak Kathleen yang masih balita, bersahabat dengan hantu-hantu tersebut. Mereka bermain bersama karena Duncan ternyata bisa melihat mereka. Bahkan, hantu laki-laki itu yang menolong Duncan ketika hampir tenggelam di bak mandi.
Kathleen sampai melakukan penelitian untuk mengetahui asal-usul keluarga hantu itu, karena dia yakin kalau para hantu tersebut adalah anak-anak dari orang yang dulu tinggal di rumah tua itu, yakni Keluarga Fontaine. Kathleen merasa kalau dia tidak secara kebetulan membeli dan tinggal di rumah itu. Dia merasa mempunyai tugas untuk menyelesaikan sesuatu yang tidak tuntas di masa lalu, yang membuat ketiga hantu itu terperangkap dirumah mereka. Bukan hanya Kathleen yang mengalami peristiwa aneh dengan hantu-hantu itu, George (suaminya), Linda dan Mike (anak tirinya), Ward (anaknya) juga mengalami sesuatu yang aneh di rumah itu, tapi mereka memutuskan untuk menyimpannya dalam hati masing-masing. Mulai dari sepatu dan baju yang berpindah-pindah tempat, senjata yang disembunyikan di cerobong asap, suara-suara orang berlari-lari, perasaan yang tidak nyaman ketika ditinggal sendirian di rumah, dan lain-lain. Tapi, mereka tidak pernah membicarakan pengalaman masing-masing. Kathleen malah mengetahuinya setelah dia menuangkan pengalamannya ke dalam sebuah buku.
Bagaimana nasib para hantu anak-anak itu? Bagaimana pula dengan kehidupan Kathleen beserta suami dan anak-anak mereka? Tidak ada salahnya menjadikan buku ini sebagai bacaan ringan Anda. Tapi, maaf Kathleen, saya setuju dengan Linda, saya tetap menyebut makhluk seperti itu sebagai hantu. Karena mereka memang hantu!!!
Catatan : Saya tidak suka terjemahannya! Suerr!!!
February 22, 2008
The author's writing style was insufferable! She writes like a middle aged, mealy mouthed, housewife talking to a three year old child. She had no clue how to build up suspense. She included way too many details about EVERY LITTLE THING, whether it's relevant or not.I couldn't finish this book, it was horrible, just horrible. I don't understand how this got published.
July 10, 2008
Great story of a true haunting. I was frustrated by the fact that the author never gives us any information about who the children actually were; I infer that she chose not to share that information, as she asserts, towards the end, that they "were never laid to rest", so there's more she doesn't tell.
June 20, 2015
I have mixed feelings about this book. Since I can't give a half star, I'll just round up to four.
On the face of it, it is an great - and unusual - story of a haunting and how the author struggled with her experiences before accepting what was going on with her house. However, the tone the author sometimes takes with her writing is irritating.
There are several places in the writing, most of them in the first 80 pages, where Ms. McConnell goes to great pains to let the reader know how wonderful her husband is. She repeatedly says, as she does on page 79, "I knew I had the best man God ever gave a woman." It got to the point where I was ready to follow Dorothy Parker's advice if I read that sentence one more time. (If you don't know, Dorothy Parker once reviewed a book by saying, "This is not a book to be put aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.")
I was also a bit irritated by Ms. McConnell's attitude toward the spirits. Perhaps it was a result of her writing style. Perhaps it is because I was at the zoo the day the maternal instinct was handed out but there seemed to be a sugary sweet, "oh, the wee things!" attitude.
Still, this was an interesting and unusual story. I'm not sure I would have been able to sit still for some of the things that happened right in front of the author over the five years she and her family lived in the house.
On the face of it, it is an great - and unusual - story of a haunting and how the author struggled with her experiences before accepting what was going on with her house. However, the tone the author sometimes takes with her writing is irritating.
There are several places in the writing, most of them in the first 80 pages, where Ms. McConnell goes to great pains to let the reader know how wonderful her husband is. She repeatedly says, as she does on page 79, "I knew I had the best man God ever gave a woman." It got to the point where I was ready to follow Dorothy Parker's advice if I read that sentence one more time. (If you don't know, Dorothy Parker once reviewed a book by saying, "This is not a book to be put aside lightly. It should be thrown with great force.")
I was also a bit irritated by Ms. McConnell's attitude toward the spirits. Perhaps it was a result of her writing style. Perhaps it is because I was at the zoo the day the maternal instinct was handed out but there seemed to be a sugary sweet, "oh, the wee things!" attitude.
Still, this was an interesting and unusual story. I'm not sure I would have been able to sit still for some of the things that happened right in front of the author over the five years she and her family lived in the house.
September 14, 2017
I've recently been tidying up my book room (again!) and among the hundreds of unread op shop finds, I saw this book and decided it was time I read it. I do like a good ghost story, and this one seemed a little different; the ghosts weren't harming or haunting the house in order to scare the occupants. Mostly we use ghost stories as a scare factor, but this one was more accepting the spirits as human children, catering to their needs and coming to live along side them. It was this unique factor that boosted the sometimes poor writing and kept this book in the higher star rating for me.
I do feel like at times the writing was a little poor, but at the same time it kind of reflected the narrator and her simple life as well. It adds an innocence to the story that somehow makes it more believable, so I believe it is deliberate.
All in all I liked it, but it may turn some readers off purely because of the writing. Four stars.
I do feel like at times the writing was a little poor, but at the same time it kind of reflected the narrator and her simple life as well. It adds an innocence to the story that somehow makes it more believable, so I believe it is deliberate.
All in all I liked it, but it may turn some readers off purely because of the writing. Four stars.
May 25, 2024
Hmmmm…..
July 19, 2014
This book provides a first-hand account of living in a house haunted by the spirits of three children. After reading the whole thing, I still don’t have an opinion about whether Don’t Call Them Ghosts should be considered fiction or non-fiction, and it probably shouldn't matter. The author/narrator seems convinced, and presents her story the way she remembers it.
The author has a very different lifestyle than I do--she was raised in a different time, in a different part of the country, with very different values. I found myself rolling my eyes when the narrative paused so she could gush about how perfect her husband is or how beautiful her baby is, but maybe that says more about me than her.
However, the narrator does take some actions that I didn’t think were explained very well and that hurt the story. For example, it takes her weeks to come up with the idea to go to the library, which is directly next door, to figure out who the spirit children in her house are. Once she finally does--and the narrative goes into great detail about the trip--she spends her time reading about an old amusement park instead of the family that built her house. She never mentions going back to that library again, but she does go to the main branch to get some more information several months later. What she finds isn’t really satisfactory--nothing about children dying or even anything from the era the children would have lived--but she doesn’t make any other effort to find out who they are, despite telling them that she will. She doesn’t call the previous owners to ask about the box of stuff she found in the attic. And in the epilogue, she mentions that she made another half-hearted research attempt at her publisher’s urging, but didn’t come up with anything.
This comes across as a lack of curiosity at best and willful ignorance at worst. When she decides after only 5 years to sell “the house of her dreams,” the reader really starts to wonder. And since she is able to help the spirits move on, no one who lives in the house after her will have an opportunity to confirm or deny the story.
But really, this is all probably beside the point. If you can take the author at her word, you’ll enjoy a touching story about family life in a house where living people care for their spirit housemates and vice versa. They protect each other, tease each other, argue sometimes, pout, and generally live together the way a family does. They accept each other as they are, and what more can you ask family to do?
Don’t Call Them Ghosts isn’t going to convince a skeptic that ghosts really exist. But if you’re not looking to be convinced--if you’re looking for a story about what it’s like to live and interact with friendly spirits in your house--then you’ll likely enjoy this family story.
The author has a very different lifestyle than I do--she was raised in a different time, in a different part of the country, with very different values. I found myself rolling my eyes when the narrative paused so she could gush about how perfect her husband is or how beautiful her baby is, but maybe that says more about me than her.
However, the narrator does take some actions that I didn’t think were explained very well and that hurt the story. For example, it takes her weeks to come up with the idea to go to the library, which is directly next door, to figure out who the spirit children in her house are. Once she finally does--and the narrative goes into great detail about the trip--she spends her time reading about an old amusement park instead of the family that built her house. She never mentions going back to that library again, but she does go to the main branch to get some more information several months later. What she finds isn’t really satisfactory--nothing about children dying or even anything from the era the children would have lived--but she doesn’t make any other effort to find out who they are, despite telling them that she will. She doesn’t call the previous owners to ask about the box of stuff she found in the attic. And in the epilogue, she mentions that she made another half-hearted research attempt at her publisher’s urging, but didn’t come up with anything.
This comes across as a lack of curiosity at best and willful ignorance at worst. When she decides after only 5 years to sell “the house of her dreams,” the reader really starts to wonder. And since she is able to help the spirits move on, no one who lives in the house after her will have an opportunity to confirm or deny the story.
But really, this is all probably beside the point. If you can take the author at her word, you’ll enjoy a touching story about family life in a house where living people care for their spirit housemates and vice versa. They protect each other, tease each other, argue sometimes, pout, and generally live together the way a family does. They accept each other as they are, and what more can you ask family to do?
Don’t Call Them Ghosts isn’t going to convince a skeptic that ghosts really exist. But if you’re not looking to be convinced--if you’re looking for a story about what it’s like to live and interact with friendly spirits in your house--then you’ll likely enjoy this family story.
August 13, 2011
This was a wonderful book. I usually read ghost books written by a paranormal researcher such as Hanz Holtzer or written by an author who did some research and interviewed others about their ghost experiences.
This time, the author, Kathleen McConnel, wrote in the first person. She wrote the way one would speak to another person. It wasn't just a story...it was a direct narrative of what her experiences were in the Fontaine Manse. She had an amazing paranormal experience. The "other children" (don't ever call them ghosts!) didn't really haunt her house...they lived there. They trusted her. They responded to her and she experienced them with her own eyes. Most people have a ghostly experience and only talk about the shadow they saw or the bump in the night they heard. Kathleen spoke about her feelings of the other children. She regarded them as her own children. She spoke to them and gave them gifts. She loved them. It was amazing how they interacted with her.
I wish Kathleen wrote more about the history of the house and who the children were. In the Epilogue, she said she could have found out, but didn't want to. I definitely would have wanted to know who was haunting my house!
You can tell that Kathleen is not a writer. Her writing is a bit immature, but she is telling a story from her own perpective. She added details that, even though they weren't relevant to the story, give you insight to her daily life.
The ending was remarable. I'm glad Kathleen wrote this book. It was not your typical ghost story and was definitely heart-warming.
This time, the author, Kathleen McConnel, wrote in the first person. She wrote the way one would speak to another person. It wasn't just a story...it was a direct narrative of what her experiences were in the Fontaine Manse. She had an amazing paranormal experience. The "other children" (don't ever call them ghosts!) didn't really haunt her house...they lived there. They trusted her. They responded to her and she experienced them with her own eyes. Most people have a ghostly experience and only talk about the shadow they saw or the bump in the night they heard. Kathleen spoke about her feelings of the other children. She regarded them as her own children. She spoke to them and gave them gifts. She loved them. It was amazing how they interacted with her.
I wish Kathleen wrote more about the history of the house and who the children were. In the Epilogue, she said she could have found out, but didn't want to. I definitely would have wanted to know who was haunting my house!
You can tell that Kathleen is not a writer. Her writing is a bit immature, but she is telling a story from her own perpective. She added details that, even though they weren't relevant to the story, give you insight to her daily life.
The ending was remarable. I'm glad Kathleen wrote this book. It was not your typical ghost story and was definitely heart-warming.
June 10, 2012
I now understand why I started this book and then put it down. I only recently picked it up and drove myself to finishing it. I was hoping for a good ghost story, but what I ended up with is more of the author telling their personal life story with some unusual events happening during it.
Strange things seem to happen in McConnell's house that she and her family move into. When these strange things start happening, she then decides to try and investigate what is actually going on in her home and who these spirit children may actually be.
There are more things that I didn't like about this book then things I actually did like about this book. McConnell has a tendency to start down one path, then lose focus and end up on a completely different path. At times there were instances where I was wondering where I had been taken and why since the path I started on never got to its destination.
Disorganized and random thoughts is the best way for me to describe this book.
Strange things seem to happen in McConnell's house that she and her family move into. When these strange things start happening, she then decides to try and investigate what is actually going on in her home and who these spirit children may actually be.
There are more things that I didn't like about this book then things I actually did like about this book. McConnell has a tendency to start down one path, then lose focus and end up on a completely different path. At times there were instances where I was wondering where I had been taken and why since the path I started on never got to its destination.
Disorganized and random thoughts is the best way for me to describe this book.
January 30, 2021
I think some of the reviews of this book are too harsh. Will it win any awards? No. Am I glad Kathleen McConnell decided to write a book about such an amazing story? Absolutely. It was a quick read and the pacing was nice. Its really an incredible thing that happened to her and her family and I'm really glad she shared it. There were several grammatical errors but nothing that is too distracting. Would definitely recommend it for ghost-story lovers. I hope the spirit children are okay - I'm kind of sad about them!
September 7, 2010
I did not really enjoy this book. I'm not a fan of true ghost stories but someone gave me this book to read so I figured I'd give it a shot. It was boring, the author includes information about stuff that isn't even relevant to the main story. It seems like she just wanted to add more words to her book! I was hoping it would be spookier but it ended up being kind of hokey... I think it would have made a better magazine article.
September 1, 2020
I love this book! Though it doesn’t answer every question I have about ghosts, I’m at least impressed that Kathleen had the same questions I do. God might not always explain everything that happens to us in life, but he will always guide us if we seek his will. This story is a beautiful testament to God’s power and grace.
April 24, 2011
I thought this was a fascinating account of a family's interactions with 3 spirit children who live in their home. I also liked the bit of history of the Fontaine Manse in Louisville, Ky. I enjoyed this book very much.
December 26, 2019
interesting story, if you believe in ghosts. not so well written, as the author tends to go off topic easily. i really enjoyed the end, and the afterword section, where the authors children had a say.
September 13, 2020
I learned of this book while listening to the "Spooked" podcast. The abbreviated story, as told on the podcast, was better than the longer story of the book.
August 21, 2022
I am interested in true spirit stories that aren’t sensational or written to exploit the fear factor. The title of this story had me inferring this would be a memoir rather than a gratuitous “ghost story,” and that would fit my interest. I was not disappointed.
Although there were times that the author got a little too invested in detailing the day to day mundane, I found her willingness to both transcend her fear and to love unseen spirit children to be truly compassionate and noble. She was devoted to her roles as a wife and mother. I most loved that seemingly the spirit children had resolution in the eleventh hour. How beautiful that the author’s near death experience would enable her to make the eventual connections to moving the spirit children into the light with the help of Elizabeth, the spirit she encountered.
Although there were times that the author got a little too invested in detailing the day to day mundane, I found her willingness to both transcend her fear and to love unseen spirit children to be truly compassionate and noble. She was devoted to her roles as a wife and mother. I most loved that seemingly the spirit children had resolution in the eleventh hour. How beautiful that the author’s near death experience would enable her to make the eventual connections to moving the spirit children into the light with the help of Elizabeth, the spirit she encountered.
April 9, 2022
Kisah nyata dari seornag wanita yang pindah rumah ke rumah impiannya sejak lajang. Dan ia menemukan keganjilan pada rumah tersebut. Namun seolah bisa berkomunikasi dengan makhluk yg ada disana, ia meminta agar siapau penghuni tak kasat mata tersebut jangan mengganggu mereka.
Alih-alih mengganggu seperti menakut-nakuti, justru makhluk yang ternyata anak-anak ini justru bersahabat. Meski ada beberapa hal kelakuan makhluk ini yang cukup bikin jengkel.
Buku ini menurutku terlalu bertele-tele memaparkan suatu hal. Orang yang menunggu atau berharap kisah novel ini akan menerangkan hantu-hantu seperti di film-film justru sebaliknya. Dan konfliknya terlalu flat dan terkesan sedikit membosankan.
Alih-alih mengganggu seperti menakut-nakuti, justru makhluk yang ternyata anak-anak ini justru bersahabat. Meski ada beberapa hal kelakuan makhluk ini yang cukup bikin jengkel.
Buku ini menurutku terlalu bertele-tele memaparkan suatu hal. Orang yang menunggu atau berharap kisah novel ini akan menerangkan hantu-hantu seperti di film-film justru sebaliknya. Dan konfliknya terlalu flat dan terkesan sedikit membosankan.
January 11, 2024
My favorite book ever! I read it every year.
December 22, 2008
Keluarga McConnell pindah ke rumah tua bernama Fontaine Manse. Dua hari setelah kepindahan, Kathleen dan suaminya mengetahui bahwa rumah mereka juga dihuni hantu. Walau tidak pernah berinteraksi secara verbal; dengan pengamatan yang sepenuh hati Kathleen menarik kesimpulan bahwa ada beberapa 'orang' hantu --dan mereka masih kanak-kanak. Merasa prihatin dengan nasib para hantu muda ini dan menyadari bahwa mereka telah ada lebih dahulu disana dibanding keluarganya, Kathleen bertekad hidup dengan damai bersama mereka, bahkan menganggap mereka seperti anaknya sendiri.
Berbagai kejadian mengungkapkan keberadaan mereka, perasaan mereka (dari hawa udara; dingin, sejuk atau hangat) dan aktivitas mereka. Mereka adalah anak-anak yang baik, taat pada permintaan Kathleen untuk tidak menakut2i dan mencelakakan anak2 keluarga McConnell. Bahkan si 'Bidadari Kecil' menyelamatkan bayi Kathleen yang nyaris tenggelam.
Buku ini mengharukan sekali dan banyak pelajaran yg bisa diambil. Kita dapat melihat sebuah ketulusan hati bahkan cara menjadi ibu yg baik disini.
Ketiga hantu (eh 'anak-anak yang lain') itu akhirnya menampakkan diri di hadapan Kathleen di saat yang sangat emosional kala McConnell dengan berat hati harus pindah rumah. Duh, sedihhh..
Apakah mereka tetap menghantui rumah itu?
Siapakah sebenarnya mereka?
Baca sendiri aja dah :D
Berbagai kejadian mengungkapkan keberadaan mereka, perasaan mereka (dari hawa udara; dingin, sejuk atau hangat) dan aktivitas mereka. Mereka adalah anak-anak yang baik, taat pada permintaan Kathleen untuk tidak menakut2i dan mencelakakan anak2 keluarga McConnell. Bahkan si 'Bidadari Kecil' menyelamatkan bayi Kathleen yang nyaris tenggelam.
Buku ini mengharukan sekali dan banyak pelajaran yg bisa diambil. Kita dapat melihat sebuah ketulusan hati bahkan cara menjadi ibu yg baik disini.
Ketiga hantu (eh 'anak-anak yang lain') itu akhirnya menampakkan diri di hadapan Kathleen di saat yang sangat emosional kala McConnell dengan berat hati harus pindah rumah. Duh, sedihhh..
Apakah mereka tetap menghantui rumah itu?
Siapakah sebenarnya mereka?
Baca sendiri aja dah :D
February 8, 2017
Now I'm going to be honest and say I didn't exactly finish this book. While it had interesting moments, its just not interesting enough for me to continue. It had interesting moments of her interacting with the ghosts but not interesting enough as a story.
May 26, 2008
klo da ibu tiri...
kesan awal pasti jahat (versi bawang merah bwang putih)...
tapi g semua ibu tiri jahat, bukti na para ibu yg mengasuh anak angkat...
malah mereka lebih baik dr ibu kandung yg tak jarang membuang anak" na sembarangan....
ibu tiri baik hati seperti itu, wajar...
tapi gimana klo ni ibu g cuma merawat anak sendiri tapi juga anak orang lain yg dah ditinggal mati ortu na...
dan lebih na pula bahwa anak" tersebut jg dah mati, alis hantu....
saat orang" serem ma hantu, ibu 1 ini malah merawat mereka.
gimana pengorbanan dan sayang sang ibu kepada anak" tak kasap ma ini????
kesan awal pasti jahat (versi bawang merah bwang putih)...
tapi g semua ibu tiri jahat, bukti na para ibu yg mengasuh anak angkat...
malah mereka lebih baik dr ibu kandung yg tak jarang membuang anak" na sembarangan....
ibu tiri baik hati seperti itu, wajar...
tapi gimana klo ni ibu g cuma merawat anak sendiri tapi juga anak orang lain yg dah ditinggal mati ortu na...
dan lebih na pula bahwa anak" tersebut jg dah mati, alis hantu....
saat orang" serem ma hantu, ibu 1 ini malah merawat mereka.
gimana pengorbanan dan sayang sang ibu kepada anak" tak kasap ma ini????
Read
June 15, 2009I usually enjoy reading supernatural books; so i was recommended this book.
It's a true story about how this woman who moved into a house with his husband. They experienced something very great.. they took care of spirit children in the house. IN the beginnning of the story, i didn't really "get" into the book as i thought i would in every other story, mostly because i never heard of any supernatural story dealting with human beings "taking care" of spirit children. Usually, it's about how the spirts are bothering and pestering the humans that causes many issues. I cannot relate to this book nor will i recommend it;
i cannot find any message within this story
It's a true story about how this woman who moved into a house with his husband. They experienced something very great.. they took care of spirit children in the house. IN the beginnning of the story, i didn't really "get" into the book as i thought i would in every other story, mostly because i never heard of any supernatural story dealting with human beings "taking care" of spirit children. Usually, it's about how the spirts are bothering and pestering the humans that causes many issues. I cannot relate to this book nor will i recommend it;
i cannot find any message within this story
July 31, 2015
Read it for the information contained within, not for the writing.
Kathleen McConnell had an interesting story to tell, and tell it she did, some 20-plus years after the fact. No doubt the memories and experiences were seared into her memory. Like other reviewers have noted, it's not professionally crafted. Still, it was a compelling read and I finished it quickly. My favorite part was a segment after the conclusion of the book in which her children recorded their impressions and observations of their experience in that house which were never discussed during their five years living there.
Kathleen McConnell had an interesting story to tell, and tell it she did, some 20-plus years after the fact. No doubt the memories and experiences were seared into her memory. Like other reviewers have noted, it's not professionally crafted. Still, it was a compelling read and I finished it quickly. My favorite part was a segment after the conclusion of the book in which her children recorded their impressions and observations of their experience in that house which were never discussed during their five years living there.
June 25, 2012
I knocked this book out in a day. Very slow read. The story line has a lot of potential but does not deliver. I really want to know the story behind these ghost children but there are no answers. Also, author claims not to be a psychic, however the conclusions she draws about the ghost kids make absolutely no sense unless she was? I really wanted to the history of the Fontain Manse, but not a lot is provided. What got me thrgh was my curiosity! Still a good read though. Maybe I'm not a mystery kinda person.
June 21, 2008
I ran across Don’t Call Them Ghosts: The Spirit Children of Fontaine Manse on accident at the library tonight, and decided that it looked interesting enough to preview on my 15 minute break. I was instantly hooked. It was almost physically painful to close the book after 15 minutes...
Click here to continue
August 20, 2008
Ini buku hibah dari Bos gue, eh mantan Bos sekarang :D.
Diangkat dari kisah nyata, pengalaman luar biasa seorang Ibu yang 'mengasuh' tiga hantu anak yang tinggal di rumahnya... Bagian terakhirnya sediiiiih..., yang jelas gue gak minat mengalami hal yang sama seperti Kathleen Mc Connell ini, syerem lah yaw..
Tapi, kok terjemahannya gak enak ya... gue sering gak ngerti maksudnya apa.. udah gitu typo merata di mana-mana, parah banget..
Diangkat dari kisah nyata, pengalaman luar biasa seorang Ibu yang 'mengasuh' tiga hantu anak yang tinggal di rumahnya... Bagian terakhirnya sediiiiih..., yang jelas gue gak minat mengalami hal yang sama seperti Kathleen Mc Connell ini, syerem lah yaw..
Tapi, kok terjemahannya gak enak ya... gue sering gak ngerti maksudnya apa.. udah gitu typo merata di mana-mana, parah banget..
December 18, 2009
at first, it kinda scary to read this novel. I tried not to read it at night. But after read it, it was great. It's about a family who just moved into a new house, a haunted house. But that haunted house gave the mother a great experience. The ghosts are 3 children, one of them is a baby. kathleen love and take care of them, her additional '3 kids'. A strong bond connect them all. Many sweet experience happened and you'll find touchy moments. people should read this!!
July 14, 2010
Not terrible but you could tell that this book was written by someone who was not used to writing. Most of the book was about her family and very little of it was about the "spirit children". The book left you feeling like there was more to the story that you hadn't been told. The ending seemed rushed and unbelievable, almost like the author just added what she wanted to happen and not what really happened. There are much better "haunted house" books, in my opinion.
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August 10, 2013I read this book when I was in Junior High School. This book is awesome! I do believe in ghosts -well, my belief makes me believe it, but living with them is sort of an impossible thing, however, McConnels did it. I like the character of the baby ghost anyway. I keep imagining if he were real -in a human body- he would be very cute. Over all, I'm looking forward to reading this book again so madly! Still trying to find it in my campus library, though.
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