The In-Betweens
The Spiritualists, Mediums, and Legends of Camp Etna
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- $31.99
Publisher Description
A young writer travels to Maine to tell the unusual story of America’s longest-running camp devoted to mysticism and the world beyond.
They believed they would live forever. So begins Mira Ptacin’s haunting account of the women of Camp Etna—an otherworldly community in the woods of Maine that has, since 1876, played host to generations of Spiritualists and mediums dedicated to preserving the links between the mortal realm and the afterlife. Beginning her narrative in 1848 with two sisters who claimed they could speak to the dead, Ptacin reveals how Spiritualism first blossomed into a national practice during the Civil War, yet continues—even thrives—to this very day. Immersing herself in this community and its practices—from ghost hunting to releasing trapped spirits to water witching— Ptacin sheds new light on our ongoing struggle with faith, uncertainty, and mortality. Blending memoir, ethnography, and investigative reportage, The In-Betweens offers a vital portrait of Camp Etna and its enduring hold on a modern culture that remains as starved for a deeper sense of connection and otherworldliness as ever.
APPLE BOOKS REVIEW
How do mediums, psychics, table-tappers, clairvoyants, and dowsers spend their summers? In The In-Betweens, Mira Ptacin takes us to Camp Etna, a Spiritualist community in rural Maine that’s been welcoming believers, seekers, and skeptics since 1876. Ptacin attends Camp Etna’s annual gathering, documenting the history of both the once-hugely-popular Spiritualist movement (whose adherents included Mary Todd Lincoln and Arthur Conan Doyle) and this rustic New England getaway. In the process, she learns a thing or two about her own spiritual beliefs. The writer treats her subjects—those she interviews directly, as well as those who have departed this world—with respect and fairness. We were fascinated by the flinty progressiveness of Spiritualism, a movement largely driven by women that’s too often been overlooked or mocked. The In-Betweens is a must for anyone interested in progressive movements, spirituality, and life after death.
PUBLISHERS WEEKLY
Journalist Ptacin (Poor Your Soul) delivers a fascinating look at the history and cultural influence of Camp Etna, the 143-year-old Spiritualist community in Maine. Throughout the late 19th and early 20th centuries, the community experienced "Burning Man sized popularity," as visitors from across the U.S. flocked to Etna to witness a unique group of clairvoyants, mediums, and psychics who were united by a common belief in "life after death, as well as living life with purpose." Ptacin describes her experiences of spending a summer at Camp Etna when it opens its gates for a few months to visitors who can meet with a range of Spiritualists. Along the way, she explores the history of "a strong, independent faith-based subculture of women (and a few men)." Rooted in two major beliefs "that it is our duty to practice the Golden Rule and also that we humans can talk to the dead if we want to" Spiritualism's teachings, Ptacin argues, "challenged the established American institutions of patriarchal authority" and influenced abolitionists and suffragettes alike. Ptacin offers a sympathetic account of how Etna's mediums throughout history have helped people grieving the death of loved ones "have peace knowing that energetically, they are still around and still accessible." Ptacin, who is receptive to the spiritual experiences and stories of the community, delivers her narrative evenhandedly and with genuine curiosity. This is an eye-opening and informative peek into a little-known but influential community.
