The People in the Attic: The Haunting of Doretta Johnson

by Doretta Johnson, Jim Henderson

In 1987, Doretta Johnson and her family moved into their dream home and immediately found themselves under an escalating paranormal attack - a horrifying onslaught that threatened the family, their sanity, and, ultimately, their lives. This is a horrifying journey through the murky, inscrutable realm of the paranormal - objects that levitate, shadowy apparitions, terrifying noises, letters crudely etched into walls, spontaneous fires, and violent attacks on the family itself. As the violence continued, Doretta Johnson had to face the terrifying truth: There was something in this house that was after her family. When several attempts by both the Catholic Church and a well-regarded psychic failed to cleanse her house of the forces that controlled it, Doretta's search for help led her to a renowned parapsychologist. Unlike the others, he believed the evil in the house was drawn there by something within Doretta herself.

Genres: Horror, Nonfiction, Paranormal, Ghosts, Memoir, Supernatural, Mystery

243 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1995

Reviews

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

For those interested, I was given this link to an episode of "Sightings" (which is mentioned in the book) which includes the story of this paranormal case. https://youtu.be/UpWVITSsWyk

4 stars.

Definitely enjoyed this one. While I'm an open minded person, I'm not one who will say that I do believe but I also won't say I don't. I don't know if this story is true or not. I'm not here to make that judgement. I'm here to just say how much I enjoyed reading this. There were parts that were creepy, mostly not, but it was a read that drew me into it. I felt incredibly sorry for Doretta's childhood. She has clearly been though a lot and I can only hope now, that things are better for her and her family. If you like paranormal stories about ghosts, spirits, haunted houses and the like, then this is a good book to pick up. Doesn't matter if you believe or not, it's still enjoyable if you have an open mind.

[Marie · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a really good true paranormal read as the author and her family endured very active entities in her house. The book takes an unexpected turn halfway through as the house is not the only thing haunted. Not giving away spoilers, so you will just have to read the book to find out what I am talking about.

Very fast paced and the book had me spooked most of the time as every creak in my house was giving me the willies as I was reading it. Five "spooky" stars for this one.

[Sabrina Rutter · Rating 5 out of 5]

Imagine my surprise when I discover that I grew up in the same town that this haunting took place! Then I was surprised again to see that she once worked in the factory that my dad manages! It was nice knowing exactly what the town she described looked like! I had no idea when I ordered this book that the story takes place in Madison Indiana! I even remember watching something about this haunting on TV when I was a kid!

I really enjoyed this book! I like that it terrified me and in the end left me feeling at ease.
I don't beleive that Doretta is responsible for the things that went on in her home. I do agree that she has some psychic abilitys but the home no matter who lives in it is going to be haunted by it's past.
If you like to read about real hauntings then you'll enjoy this book!

[Brandon · Rating 1 out of 5]

With its long dry spells from any actual supernatural activity and frequent (ghostwritten) purple prose, I just can't get past the feeling that this is really Mrs. Johnson's vain attempt to gift the world with her autobiography. Since nobody would be interested in her humdrum broken-home story on its own, what better way to tell the world her (boring) story than to hire herself a writer to paint her as a psychic hero fending off ghosts and sins of the past? To me, this book smacks of insincerity on all levels. The even worse sin is that it is boring. If you're going to use ghosts as a Trojan horse to talk about yourself, at least make them interesting.

[Dan · Rating 1 out of 5]

It's like "Communion" but with ghosts!

[Rebecca · Rating 4 out of 5]

I love "true" ghost stories. I am perfectly prepared to believe that some spirits do not move on immediately, that they linger, that they can interact with the living. While there is not much in the way of "hard" evidence (and what there is, is often dismissed rather cavalierly), there is a world of empirical evidence, and much of it given by rational, sane people. So this book was just what I wanted. Some of the happenings appear a bit "out there" to me, but I absolutely will not say that none, most, or even all, of this did not occur just as reported. It was a fascinating read.

[Queen Halloween · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read this way too young and left me unable to sleep.

[Tonje Mathiesen · Rating 2 out of 5]

⭐️2,5

[Dianna (SavingsInSeconds blog) · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this real-life story about a haunted house. It reminds me of Grave's End by Elaine Mercado. It's is a quick read with black-and-white photos to support some of the claims. Additionally, I recognized many of the locales mentioned in the book, which made me feel more connected to the story. At times, I found myself feeling frustrated with the author and her ambivalence. She seemed so wishy-washy, blindly following anyone who offered a sliver of hope.

Then I imagined myself in her shoes for a moment -- scared for her family's safety, out of money, worried about possible insanity....it helped me to feel more empathy for her. The story took place in the early 1990s, when Internet and mobile phones weren't common conveniences. With that in mind, it's clear that Doretta Johnson went to great lengths to free her family from the turmoil of living in this oppressive home. Excerpts from Johnson's personal diary, which she kept as a record of her experiences, help to provide credence for some of the more unbelievable parts of the story. The end of the book was quite abrupt. I wish there was an update about the house and the family!

(This book also made me wonder why most of the haunted-house books I've read are based in the 1990s. Is it because of Poltergeist? Or do people just not write books like this anymore?)

[Kristyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

I'm not really sure what I just read. So was the house haunted or not. Was Doretta causing everything? Was the whole thing made up? So many unanswered questions here. Half of the book is them moving from one place to another and her complaining about the people trying to help them. I'm sorry if Doretta had a terrible childhood, but this is a very odd way to tell that story.

[Ondrea · Rating 3 out of 5]

Eh. This seemed like an extra long journal entry that kept going in circles. The events were freaky enough but something was missing in the relaying of the stories.

[Reuxbot · Rating 2 out of 5]

I've been trying to get a copy of this for some time, perhaps it's out of print or perhaps it's because I'm not in America and didn't want to pay $40 from Abebooks. Probably both. After all that however I'm not entirely sure what to make of it. I'm uncomfortable analysing it too much due to the abuse the author suffered as a child, and also the abuse her children seem to have suffered during this time period. Frankly, I found the way Doretta dismissed the beatings of herself and her son disturbing.

I tend to be sceptical but enjoy reading 'true accounts' and watching the associated testimonies/shows and comparing stories. They're rarely consistent but it is what it is. For the most part I found the beginning of the story more interesting and felt as though it drifted the more the author started to explore personal issues toward the end. The writing was OK, but a bit too overbearing at times.

As far as the ghosts though, another user (Rachel) noted the episode of Sightings mentioned in the book is available online and provided a link. I'm going to post another link to the same segment but the Johnson story is the first one in the video and thus easier to locate (it also has three hours of Sightings segments. Something you may enjoy if you are interested enough in this book - The Heartland Ghost segment participants have also written their own book The Sallie House Haunting: A True Story).

Sightings: https://youtu.be/IqTmX36d34s?list=PLn...

Doretta also mentioned Haunted Lives which I found here.

Haunted Lives: https://youtu.be/hRItbqMnW00?list=PLV...

Finally, while I unfortunately I don't have a link this, you may be able to find it using other methods... The 2015 episode of Paranormal Witness featuring the Johnsons and a grown-up Ashley is season 4 episode 1 'The Motel'.

[Unsolved ☕︎ Mystery · Rating 4 out of 5]

Ghosts, demons, spirits.....whatever you want to call them or whether you believe; it sure makes for a good story.

This is written from the view point of Doretta Johnson; she recounts what herself and her family suffered for years.

Whether this was actually true, the writer did a hell of a good job coming across in the words.
I could physically feel how tired the writer and the family felt.
I could imagine the anguish and fear the family endured;
It made me so tired.

Well, I did my "research" while reading this book.
I couldn't find anything on the psychic named, or the name of the guy who died in the car crash.
Even Doretta Johnson yield only one result and that one was a no because the family names didn't match.
Even the name of the motel had only 2 links and that was for haunted sites.

Even if the names were changed, wouldn't that have been mentioned somewhere in the book?

Anyhow, the book was a eerie read that had me truly scared more than once.

The part that really got me was when she saw the silhouette of a guy in her unoccupied car.

I recommend this one but take it with a grain of salt.

[Evil Space Waffle · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this even though, as someone who is kind of on the skepticism fence (leaning more toward believer,) the beginning-middle part of the book had me convinced her traumatic life as a child and the psychological impact on her is what was driving the events, but then you can’t discount the experiences of the family as “all in their heads.”

I believe something very real happened here, and I suppose even Doretta acknowledged that her childhood mixed with her own psychic abilities and the history/events that took place in the home before them all played a connecting role.

Was a great read, albeit sad at times.

[TISHA · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book wasn't what I expected. It isn't a bad book, but I've read better true story hauntings. I will say that I believe this story is a true poltergeist story. If you like hauntings and all things supernatural, then this is for you.

[Christina Calhoun · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent book. Very heavy at times, especially for someone who has experienced young childhood sexual harassment, but so comfortable to hear the story from Dorettas mouth, and I feel a deep connection to her.

[Danielle Puccini · Rating 2 out of 5]

The spooky stuff was pretty decent in the early middle portion of the book but the rest of it was, in my opinion, like watching a “weird therapy session” unfold. The story really lost all sense of plot direction and pivoted to too much reflection on her unfortunate childhood experiences.

[Coral · Rating 2 out of 5]

This was a really drawn-out way to tell people you were allegedly traumatized into allegedly becoming psychic and allegedly haunting your own family, BUT OK.

[Amy Webster-Bo · Rating 3 out of 5]

their was some good parts, some boring, and some it was like WHF are u still doing in that house, lol

[Rhonda · Rating 4 out of 5]

Doretta and her family move into what was once a hotel in Madison, Indiana. Doe and her husband have high hopes of fixing the hotel up and either renting out the rooms or - running a daycare from the main home itself.

Once the family was moved in, they began experiencing weird paranormal phenomenon such as odd smells, sounds and they began experiencing weird electrical surges that would burn up appliances or explode light bulbs.

It was clear the house did not want to be fixed up when after trying to paint and wallpaper, Doe would return to the house and find the wallpaper lying folded in the floor or the paint bubbling and running off the walls. (That would have been a major clue to me).

Regardless, they decide to move their young family in.

As with most hauntings, the spirits started out seemingly playful and targeting the youngest members of the household but as time wore on, either the spirits grew stronger or angrier, - they became more frightening and sometimes more dangerous.

Doe took all the right steps to rid the house of spirits by trying to have the house cleansed and blessed (both times failed), consulting with 2 different paranormal teams and 2 different psychics- one of which blamed everything her and her supposed psychic abilities.

~~~

This was a really good book and roped me in from the first chapter. I was disappointed by the ending and confused as to why Doe would continue to remain in the house with the spirits who are so very angry -- also thought more could have been done to either bless the house or help put the spirits at ease.

I would be interested in reading a follow up to see if anything has changed since the first book was written or what the spirits think of the increased media publicity.

[Ann · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was an interesting book. Doretta Johnson and her family moved into their dream home in Madison, Kentucky in 1987. As soon as they moved in their problems started. The paint would not stay on the walls, the appliances broke, the light bulbs popped. Doretta began to keep a journal to keep track of the events that were happening to her family. Her young daughter told her she had a friend, a little girl who lived all alone in the attic. She herself began to see people who shouldn't be there. This is a supposedly true story of her journey to find peace and to find help from the church or from the scientific community. I'm not sure I believe it but I keep an open mind.

[Jamie Parkest · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a quick read.It is more like a diary.It deals with a woman and her family as they move into a house in the 1980's. What happens next is a paranormal attack that causes the family to go insane and fall apart. Some of the book is a bit far fetched for me, but if you are like me and love to read, it's a descent book to fill an afternoon with.

[Lana · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really don't know what to make of this true haunting story. It was definitely an engaging read, though some of it seemed pretty unbelievable.I was left feeling pretty confused in the end as to what actually was going on and what was resolved.

[Videoclimber(AKA)MTsLilSis · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was left confused by this one. While the story itself was compelling, there were too many questions left unanswered. For ghost fans only! and be ready to read with an open mind, or just don't bother!

[Jessica · Rating 4 out of 5]

Part memoir, part scary story, this book held my attention and kept me reading long into the night. There were several genuinely creepy moments. It's a short, fast read that paranormal fans will no doubt enjoy.

[Blade · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have read this book numerous times and am still captivated by the way she retells her story.

[theghostwriter · Rating 5 out of 5]

A mother's perspective who seems to be a conduit for some major poltergeist activity. Well written for this genre!

[Heather Peelman · Rating 4 out of 5]

I got so freaked out while reading this! I live only 30 minutes away from where this took place. If you like a good scare you should read this book for sure.

[Dylan Mathews · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a great read that will keep you turning the pages and will freak you out. Don't read it with the lights off...but, of course then you couldn't see it anyway.

[Linn F. Nordnes · Rating 5 out of 5]

I LOVE this book!! :D