Review by Booklist Review
Ever wonder how a Ouija board works, or if it even works at all? Jarrow explains the history and cultural phenomenon of spiritualism, the practice of interacting with ghosts through divination--or, sometimes, through trickery--spelling out spiritualism's roots by telling the story of the Fox sisters, considered the mothers of the movement because of their communications with ghosts through knocks on the wall. During the height of spiritualism from the 1840s to the 1920s, many so-called mediums fooled their audiences with illusions disproven by some of the most talented stage magicians, including Harry Houdini. But Jarrow's exploration of what was proven to be fake is also conscious of the true hold spiritualism had on people who believed in the great beyond, cementing the movement as a fascinating moment in cultural history, especially in the U.S. In this title, the wheels of Spiritualism are shown being sped by crowds and slowed by individuals, making for a page-turner of a spooky history book.
From Booklist, Copyright (c) American Library Association. Used with permission.
Review by Publisher's Weekly Review
"It is the early twentieth century and the spiritualism movement is soaring in America," writes Jarrow (American Murderer), setting the scene for this spine-tingling work. In the wake of WWI and the influenza outbreak, people turned to spiritualism, "desperate to communicate with their dead loved ones or to learn the fate of those lost" to these events. They flock to mediums performing seances in dark rooms thick with incense and eerie tapping noises; some even spent their life savings or quit their jobs at the advice of purportedly omniscient fortune tellers. But according to famous magician Harry Houdini (1874--1926), spiritualism "is all hocus-pocus"--and he can prove it. Determined to expose fraudsters, Houdini uncovered the mediums' parlor tricks and demonstrated their methods onstage. While his work did much to expose fraudulent magicians at the turn of the 20th century, Jarrow asserts that spiritualism is still alive and well: "In 2022, people in the United States spent more than $2.2 billion a year on psychic services." A mesmerizing read that not only details the rise of spiritualism, and the role Houdini played in debunking it, but implores readers to rely on critical thinking skills to evade deception. Ages 10--17. (Sept.)
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Review by School Library Journal Review
Gr 7 Up--A natural and riveting follow-up to Jarrow's Spooked and The Amazing Harry Kellar, her previous books about debunking hoaxes and the supernatural. In concise, approachable chapters, the author details the origins of Spiritualism, its popularity and most well-known practitioners, and the sleuths who dedicated their lives to disproving the methods and beliefs that made it popular. Ample time is spent on historical figures that young people might already be familiar with, such as Harry Houdini and Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, whose friendship suffered because of the magician's mission to demystify mediums and the "Sherlock Holmes" author's complete devotion to the Spiritualism religion. Readers also learn about Rose Mackenberg, a private investigator who often partnered with Houdini. The book's emphasis on how these mediums and psychics used smoke and mirrors to swindle people serves as an excellent tool to teach young readers about the dangers of misinformation. The spacious white pages and photo-filled design add to the work's readability. Reproductions of advertisements, newspaper clippings, legal documents, and posters ground readers into the time period in which most of the events occurred. Insets and sidebars delve deeper into subtopics and are set off by a violet color but are still seamlessly integrated into the large narrative. The 25 pages of back matter are a librarian's dream and include an author's note, time line, glossary, index, source notes, further reading, and more. VERDICT The indomitable Jarrow crafts another enthralling narrative of nonfiction that will mesmerize curious readers and serve as an exemplar for educators and researchers.--Shelley M. Diaz
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Review by Horn Book Review
Narrative nonfiction veteran Jarrow (recently American Murderer, rev. 9/22) digs into the history of the greedy hucksters and charlatans who defrauded naive and grieving people for decades, as spiritualism began in the mid-1800s and gained popularity in the postwar periods that followed. The book shows how these mediums employed parlor tricks and sleight of hand to deceive seance-sitters into believing the dead could communicate from beyond the grave. Each rise in the practice's popularity brought renewed skepticism, with a curious alliance of journalists, magicians, scientists, and detectives working diligently to convince the public that mediums were merely con artists. The book spends much of its time with famed magician and escape artist Harry Houdini, who used his expertise and experience to disprove mediums' deceptions, performing their tricks himself during his touring shows. This intriguing deep dive into an underexplored period of history shows readers how obvious lies can cement into passionately held beliefs that can stand up to scrutiny if the believer is sufficiently motivated. Frequent visuals include photographs and advertisements; "How Did They Do It?" sections detail mediums' secret methods. The thorough back matter includes a timeline, a glossary, additional resources, an author's note, source notes, an extensive bibliography, and an index. Eric CarpenterNovember/December 2024 p.111 (c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
(c) Copyright The Horn Book, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
Review by Kirkus Book Review
A history of spiritualism from 1838 to today, with tributes to some of its most dedicated debunkers. Acknowledging that belief in spirits can be a comfort to many in times of war or other loss, Jarrow nonetheless sees spiritualism as based on deception and riddled with con artists--and so a worthy target for skeptical investigators. In this thoroughly researched study, she singles out two investigators in particular for their persistence: Harry Houdini, who made exposures of séance fakery a regular part of his stage act, and his protégé Rose Mackenberg, a tough-minded private detective and master of disguise who worked with victims and law enforcement to shut down spirit scams for decades after Houdini's premature death. Though the author tallies individual examples to the point of tedium, she does offer insights into the clever techniques used by both hoaxers and hoax-busters, as well as a timely case study on the persistence of irrational belief in the face of logic and overwhelming negative evidence. She also presents an expansive (if unsympathetic) gallery of renowned spiritualists from the Fox sisters to Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and on to "Psychic Zoe" and other contemporary mediums, coupled with portraits of two admirably talented, strong-minded sleuths who stood for truth. Though most of the cast here is white, people of color are included in one of the many period séance and "ghost" photographs that accompany the narrative. Overstuffed in places with too many examples but penetrating and provocative. (timeline, glossary, resource lists, author's note, source notes, bibliography, index, picture credits) (Nonfiction. 11-14) Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
Copyright (c) Kirkus Reviews, used with permission.
