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Haunted America
Haunted Florida Love Stories
The author and folklorist examines Florida’s history through the lens of haunting tales of love.
Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart. Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale? If the story is set in Florida, there’s a good chance it’s both. From the infamous Bellamy Bridge to a haunted lighthouse in Key West, love is in the air—but it isn’t always a good thing. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano follows lingering campus whispers and trails that vanish into the swamp to track down the urban legends and ghostly lore of Sunshine State love affairs that live on even after death.
Wide eyes, sweaty palms and a racing heart. Are these the tell-tale marks of a love story or a haunted tale? If the story is set in Florida, there’s a good chance it’s both. From the infamous Bellamy Bridge to a haunted lighthouse in Key West, love is in the air—but it isn’t always a good thing. Author and folklorist Christopher Balzano follows lingering campus whispers and trails that vanish into the swamp to track down the urban legends and ghostly lore of Sunshine State love affairs that live on even after death.
147 pages, Kindle Edition
Published August 14, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews
August 11, 2022
I came across this book while browsing at the local library, and decided to give it a chance. It started out just fine. The author encouraged readers to believe or not believe the stories as they see fit. However, I did find that as the storytelling went on, it wasn't all that good, and it was chock full of the author's personal opinions.
Some of the assertions made by the author just didn't make any sense, either. I don't mean spooky happenings -- I mean that, for instance, a claimed haunting involving blood red river water supposedly affected buckets of mop water at a local bar. It's not like the bartenders are hoofing it to the river to gather buckets of mop water. Come on now. At least try to tell a story that has a logical path.
I like to give a book a good 25 pages before I give up on it, if I'm not overly fond of how it's going. I didn't quite make it that far with this one.
There are so many good books waiting for me in my TBR pile. I don't have time to read one that is mediocre. I would not seek out other books by this author, if there are any out there.
Some of the assertions made by the author just didn't make any sense, either. I don't mean spooky happenings -- I mean that, for instance, a claimed haunting involving blood red river water supposedly affected buckets of mop water at a local bar. It's not like the bartenders are hoofing it to the river to gather buckets of mop water. Come on now. At least try to tell a story that has a logical path.
I like to give a book a good 25 pages before I give up on it, if I'm not overly fond of how it's going. I didn't quite make it that far with this one.
There are so many good books waiting for me in my TBR pile. I don't have time to read one that is mediocre. I would not seek out other books by this author, if there are any out there.
June 9, 2026
Honestly, I was hoping for more. Balzano spent the first 1/2 of each chapter telling readers about other stories outside Florida that debunk the legends and the second 1/2 telling 1-2 sentence stories of Florida legends.
Obviously anyone reading a book on hauntings knows that they are often connected through their themes, symptoms, etc. So wasting time telling readers the history of Women in White or Native American burial ground rituals in other places, takes away from the less than 200 pages used to tell about haunted Florida.
Obviously anyone reading a book on hauntings knows that they are often connected through their themes, symptoms, etc. So wasting time telling readers the history of Women in White or Native American burial ground rituals in other places, takes away from the less than 200 pages used to tell about haunted Florida.
July 19, 2021
The stories are convoluted and completely confusing
August 7, 2021
Las historias no tienen un hilo conductor. El título promete mucho más de lo que da. Con este material se podría haber hecho un gran libro, pero se queda corto.
December 22, 2023
Very good book. Love the mystery and history of a good ghost story.
February 3, 2022
Good read, I enjoyed the history aspect of this book.
Displaying 1 - 6 of 6 reviews