About this title: LILY DALE began as a newspaper assignment to cover the quaint, old-fashioned town in which everybody knows everybody and the kids can play outside at night--and where some of the inhabitants claim to be able to communicate with the dead. As a religion journalist, Christine Wicker has reported on beliefs both odd and mainstream, and when she first went to the Spiritualist community of Lily Dale in upstate New York, she was ready for anything, from mere eccentrics to money-grubbing charlatans...or even real results. Wicker discusses the history of the town, including its origin in the 19th ...
Note: This is a general synopsis. Each listing is described below.
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: Harperone
Date Published: 03/2003
ISBN-13:9780060086664ISBN:0060086661
Description: Very good in very good dust jacket. Very Good, In very good dust jacket. Sewn binding. Cloth over boards. 288 p. Contains: Illustrations. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperOne
Date Published: 2003-03-01
ISBN-13:9780060086664ISBN:0060086661
Description: Very Good in Near Fine jacket. Book Club Edition, interior clean, binding tight, top edge tanned; DJ has mild edgewear, small crase on back flap. VG/NF. read more
Description: Good. Purchasing this book supports the King County Library System Foundation. Thriftbooks and KCLSF have partnered to help raise additional funds for the library system. Ex-Library book-will contain library markings. Book has appearance of light use with no easily noticeable wear. Millions of satisfied customers and climbing. Thriftbooks is the name you can trust, guaranteed. Spend Less. Read More. read more
Description: Acceptable. Former Library book. Shows definite wear, and perhaps considerable marking on inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Good. Former Library book. Shows some signs of wear, and may have some markings on the inside. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Description: Very Good. Great condition for a used book! Minimal wear. Shipped to over one million happy customers. Your purchase benefits world literacy! read more
Binding: Paperback
Publisher: HarperOne
Date Published: 2004-04-01
ISBN-13:9780060086671ISBN:006008667X
Description: Like New. May be shiny, in some instances dust jackets are not included, no missing pages, no damage to binding, may have a remainder mark. read more
Description: Good. 2003-Hardcover----Used-Good-Hall Street Books proudly ships from Brooklyn, NY. All orders are processed and shipped within 24 hours, M-F. 100% money back No-Worry guarantee with expedited delivery and delivery confirmation available. read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperOne
Date Published: 2003-03-01
ISBN-13:9780060086664ISBN:0060086661
Description: Very Good. Binding is tight and square. DJ is VG. No names, no marks, no stickers. Text is clean, bright and unmarked. Careful packaging and fast shipping. We recommend EXPEDITED MAIL for even faster delivery! read more
Binding: Hardcover
Publisher: HarperSanFrancisco, San Francisco
Date Published: 2003
ISBN-13:9780060086664ISBN:0060086661
Description: Very Good in Fine jacket. 8vo-over 7¾"-9¾" tall. 282 pp., illus., biblio.; 22 cm. Tight, clean copy. Browning. Fine DJ. "In Lily Dale, New York, the dead don't die. Instead, spirits flit among the elms and stroll along the streets, sometimes dressed in garb more common 120 years ago, when Lily Dale was founded and suffragette Susan B. Anthony was a frequent guest. According to Spiritualists who have ruled this Victorian hamlet for five generations, the dead don't go away and they stay anything ... read more
Description: Very Good + in Good jacket. Small 8vo. Brown boards, gilt lettering. Dustjacket with 6 inch tape repair near front flap, 1 inch tear on bottom edge of spine. Illustrations, 282 pp. Clean tight copy. read more
"I'm always amazed when a writer is able to take fairly interesting and exciting subject matter and turn it into something about as entertaining as a recipe for biscuits. It wouldn't be fair to say that this book does exactly that but for me it came dangerously close. Unfortunately, Ms. Wicker can't get past her own skepticism which is not only understandable, but at times charming and poignant, however, it overshadowed her subject to the point of distraction. Perhaps, unfairly I was excepting much more of a historical account and having read one of her other books a much more balanced tone. There are interesting historical tidbits sprinkled throughout but overall it was a huge let-down."
"I liked this book, but not as much as I wanted to.
This is ostensibly a history of Lily Dale, New York -- a community that has been ectoplasmic since the late 1800s. I made my way to the book being most interested in the Victorian/Gilded Age Spiritualist era, rather than the world of today's New Age Feel-Gooderies.
The author's accounts do cover the 1800s happenings a bit, but there's much more time given to the spiritual quests of the current Lily Dale residents, mostly a bunch of spooky-ooky older ladies whom the author resoundingly disbelieves, though she struggles to be open and respectful.
It's not to the author's discredit, really, that she disbelieves them -- come on, these people are table-rappers to rival the Fox Sisters -- but it makes for a less interesting book than would have John Keel style weird-ass credulity.
The author is a former Baptist and a reporter on religious matters, and to be honest I found her more interesting than many of her subjects. The places where I loved this book the most were when she cut loose with her own reminiscences, insecurities and first-person experiences from her outside life. I found that utterly captivating, whereas many of the interview portions felt sort of underdramatized and over-paraphrased.
I assume that's because more direct quotes from the mediums and spiritual seekers in question would have come across like raving and drooling disjointed lunacy, and made them seem far crazier than they actually seem in person. I'm guessing. There's an old reporter's trick -- if the subject's quotes are completely incoherent and weird, best to paraphrase rather than file an incomprehensible story. There's a lot of paraphrasing in this book. Just a thought.
What I did take away from the author, and what made me like her own voice so much, was a sense of compassion for the trials these women have gone through that bring them to that community. Nonetheless, I'm left seeing Earthly reasons for their troubles -- and their questions have financial, feminist, libertine, educational answers for me, not the spiritual ones the mediums and seekers find. The answers are easy, so very easy. The only sacrifice Lily Dale enlightenment requires is death -- which I knew already.
Like I said... I wanted to like this book more than I did. But I suspect it'll stick with me, and I'm actually contemplating a vacation to Lily Dale. I doubt I'll like what I find, but then that's hardly the point, is it?"
"I forget how I found out about this book, but I remember that I had to order it through interlibrary loan. I have always been interested in the paranormal (it was "the occult" when I was younger. This was a delightful read, as the author is (or used to be) a religion reporter for newspapers and magazines. Her view of the Spiritualist movement of the past and what's left of it today (psychics, "New Age"ists, etc.) is very fair and she gives all her subjects dignity and respect. The history of the town is fascinating (kind of a Chatauqua for mediums!)and to find out that it is still flourishing somewhat.
Ms. Wicker has a way with words and infuses this book with a realism that one doesn't find every day. I went on to read her book on magic's influence on today's world (Not in Kansas anymore)and I hope she will write more on these topics in the future."
"I enjoyed this book. Not as much as Not in Kansas Anymore but I enjoyed it. The few major flaws I noted were scattered storytelling, lack of in-depth explanations, reflections on town history, etc., such as mentioned by the below reviewer.
However. I do like Wicker's writing style. It's rollicking, engaging, vivid--I can still quote you back some sentences, whereas most books leave me blank. It's her engaging style and ingrained personality quirks that bump me up to rating this a 3.5.
The town is interesting, and the book is well-written, simply disjointed and not as readable as Not in Kansas Anymore. If you want to experience an excellent Wicker read, start with Kansas then continue on to Lily Dale"
We guarantee every item's condition, as described on Alibris. If you are not satisfied that an item is as described, return your purchase for a refund.
rating
