Men, Women, and Ghosts

"Men, Women, and Ghosts" is a short story collection by Elizabeth Phelps that deals with primarily the supernatural but also a whole host of topics never publicly addressed at the time. Apart from a few stories such as 'The Day of My Death', the ghosts here aren't the stereotypical clanking chains and wailing type, they're beleaguered, frustrated souls who have suffered great hardship. "One of the Elect" reads like a changeling story, but gradually becomes a tale dealing with sentimentality and the pains of prostitution. One of the strongest tales is 'Kentucky's Ghost', an old sailors tale of bullying and revenge at sea combined with a compelling and gripping narrative. -