Tales from the Haunted South

“A page-turner. . . . Should serve as a call to historic sites to undertake the hard work of telling complex stories about the past that enable visitors to gain a deeper understanding of the complexity of African American lives under slavery. . . . Highly recommend[ed] . . . to public historians, scholars of slavery and its current-day legacies, and anyone interested in the gothic South."—Journal of Southern History

“Shines a valuable light on how we feel about the Civil War and race, and on how the ghosts of the past are still with us.”—North Carolina Historical Review

“Imagery portrayed within each story . . . will keep readers on the edge of their seats in anticipation of the next sentence, waiting to hear how each narrative plays out.”—CHOICE

“In her captivating exploration of southern ghost tours, Tiya Miles shows how spirits act as guides to a troubled American past and how they continue to raise the specter of slavery today. This absorbing book confirms that no matter how hard we try, we can’t quite keep the past buried like we used to.” —Stephen Berry, University of Georgia

“Investigating southern fright culture, Tiya Miles uncovers the connections between antebellum nostalgia, African American history, and mystical ideas about slavery. Stories of Voodoo queens and scorned lovers fuel this dark-tourist industry, while the author sets the record straight. Readers will find it impossible to put this book down.” —Daina Ramey Berry, University of Texas at Austin