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Ghostlore Review |
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Some of the most fun books come from someone’s passion
for a subject. That is what
one discovers in Haunting Sunshine: Ghostly Tales from Florida’s
Shadows. After a career
as a military pediatrician and pediatric cardiologist, Jack Powell retired
to a smaller practice in a rural Florida locale, where he began collecting
folklore. A tour of Florida’s celebrated haunts as well as those
unfamiliar is offered. Theaters
appear to be full of ghosts. The
Tampa Theatre is famous for ghost of projectionist Foster “Fink”
Finley, who continues to play pranks on the living.
There is the tender tale at the Daytona Playhouse where lovers were
separated by death, and today haunt the playhouse unaware that the spirit
of the other is nearby. A trip to Florida isn’t complete without a visit to Spook
Hill in Lake Wales. According
to legend, the site is haunted by Seminole Chief Cufcomellax and a large
gator that fought to the death at the spot.
Since pioneer days, vehicles roll uphill.
Try it. Next time at
Spook Hill put your car in neutral on the white line and wait for the
ghostly ride. The collection includes famous historical haunts such as
St. Augustine’s Huguenot Cemetery, Castillo de San Marcos, the Skyway
Bridge hitchhiker, and the Biltmore Hotel.
There are also the tales of antebellum mansions and Confederate
spirits. Haunting Sunshine is a collection of ghostlore that is presented with research and humor. Even those who Powell interviewed about their hauntings appear to use humor as a means of facing the unknown.
© 2001 Southern Scribe Reviews, All Rights Reserved |
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