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Lily Dale, a small town in western New York, hasn’t really changed all that much in the past 150 years or so, and neither, apparently, have some of its residents. According to the mediums who live there (and who must pass tests to “prove” their authenticity), the town is still full of voices from the past. The world’s oldest and largest Spiritualist community has never allowed much in the way of reporters and interviews, let alone books, to look into its inner sanctum, but Wicker finds her way into the mediums’ parlors and trust. She follows three other summer visitors, each with their own tragic tale, to Lily Dale as they search for contact with their loved ones on ”the other side” and in the process confronts her own opinions on spirit communication. I have to admit that I’ve known about Lily Dale for years and always been fascinated by it, even more so after reading Wicker’s book. She’s straightforward about her doubts and revelations, and draws us into the other visitors’ stories. There are both the expected spooky stories and instances of failure to communicate with anything beyond imagination. Wicker really doesn’t reach any conclusions, which is oddly satisfying – a complete leap to one side or the other would have seemed too pat, too manufactured for the sake of the book – but she lets us listen in as she thinks through different aspects of the experience. Whether or not you want to join the twenty thousand visitors that descend on the little Victorian town each summer (and I’m definitely making my reservations!), this is an interesting read for a quiet winter night.
I give it:
Review by Karen Albeck |
