Ammie, Come Home
by Barbara Michaels
New York: HarperCollins
2009
352 pages
eBook version
I may have told you before that I discovered Barbara Michaels' books when I was a teen. I have loved her gothic thrillers ever since and when I am looking for a comfort book to read, I often will pull out one of her titles. This month I reread the old favorite, Ammie, Come Home. Although it seems rather dated, with the references to hippie culture, I still find the historical ghost story appealing.
Ruth Bennett lives in a beautiful old Georgian home in Georgetown. She has inherited it from an older relation whom she didn't know that well, but Ruth loves the history and elegance of the neighborhood and the house. She has recently invited her niece, Sara, to come live with her while she attends the nearby university, and she is glad for the company. But this is when things start to happen in the house.
It is little things that begin to unnerve the two women. A lonely voice in the night calling, "Ammie, come home!" awakens Sara, who wonders what small pet is lost in the dark. There is a feeling of cold in the parlor that is uncomfortable but not unbearable to both women.
Then Ruth meets dashing Pat McDougal, professor of Sara, who invites her to his mother's home for dinner. There she meets a famous medium--of course!--and promptly and uncharacteristically invites her to her own home to do a reading.This is when the true haunting begins!
The ghost story develops well, with the characters doing their historical research on the house to see if they can find out who is stuck there. It turns out that it is more than one ghost anchored there due to a past tragedy, which leads to confusion and difficulties for Ruth and Sara, along with their friends, Pat and Sara's boyfriend, Bruce. The ghostly possessions and apparitional appearances increase in frequency and intensity until we reach a terrifying climax.
Although this book, first published in 1968, is somewhat dated in some ways and I never quite forget that I am reading a story about characters in the hippie '60s, I think the characters are developed well I feel connected to them. It is rather strange and unbelievable, however, how quickly the relationship between Ruth and Professor Pat progresses. But because I like Ruth and Pat, I can disregard the swiftness of their romance.
During this reading, I discovered that Ammie, Come Home had been made into a television movie! It stars legends Barbara Stanwyck and Richard Egan. The House that Would Not Die (1970) changes the story somewhat. There is still a house, but it is in the country, not the city, and Ruth has left her job for a time to decide if she wants to live there. Sara is there with her, but it is unclear why she is hanging out with her auntie in the country since the college connection is lost. Pat McDougal is now a neighbor, and there is no Mrs. Mac, his mother, the hostess with the most-est in Georgetown. She is replaced with with an aunt who is far more bland. Bruce, the boyfriend, is mysteriously replaced by Stan, and I confess that I don't like him much.
Despite these changes, I greatly enjoyed the movie and considering it was made for television, it is a satisfying ghost story for a Saturday afternoon. It is divided into parts on Youtube. Here is part one for you to get started:
2009
352 pages
eBook version
I may have told you before that I discovered Barbara Michaels' books when I was a teen. I have loved her gothic thrillers ever since and when I am looking for a comfort book to read, I often will pull out one of her titles. This month I reread the old favorite, Ammie, Come Home. Although it seems rather dated, with the references to hippie culture, I still find the historical ghost story appealing.
Ruth Bennett lives in a beautiful old Georgian home in Georgetown. She has inherited it from an older relation whom she didn't know that well, but Ruth loves the history and elegance of the neighborhood and the house. She has recently invited her niece, Sara, to come live with her while she attends the nearby university, and she is glad for the company. But this is when things start to happen in the house.
 |
| A Georgian-style Home |
It is little things that begin to unnerve the two women. A lonely voice in the night calling, "Ammie, come home!" awakens Sara, who wonders what small pet is lost in the dark. There is a feeling of cold in the parlor that is uncomfortable but not unbearable to both women.
Then Ruth meets dashing Pat McDougal, professor of Sara, who invites her to his mother's home for dinner. There she meets a famous medium--of course!--and promptly and uncharacteristically invites her to her own home to do a reading.This is when the true haunting begins!
The ghost story develops well, with the characters doing their historical research on the house to see if they can find out who is stuck there. It turns out that it is more than one ghost anchored there due to a past tragedy, which leads to confusion and difficulties for Ruth and Sara, along with their friends, Pat and Sara's boyfriend, Bruce. The ghostly possessions and apparitional appearances increase in frequency and intensity until we reach a terrifying climax.
Although this book, first published in 1968, is somewhat dated in some ways and I never quite forget that I am reading a story about characters in the hippie '60s, I think the characters are developed well I feel connected to them. It is rather strange and unbelievable, however, how quickly the relationship between Ruth and Professor Pat progresses. But because I like Ruth and Pat, I can disregard the swiftness of their romance.
During this reading, I discovered that Ammie, Come Home had been made into a television movie! It stars legends Barbara Stanwyck and Richard Egan. The House that Would Not Die (1970) changes the story somewhat. There is still a house, but it is in the country, not the city, and Ruth has left her job for a time to decide if she wants to live there. Sara is there with her, but it is unclear why she is hanging out with her auntie in the country since the college connection is lost. Pat McDougal is now a neighbor, and there is no Mrs. Mac, his mother, the hostess with the most-est in Georgetown. She is replaced with with an aunt who is far more bland. Bruce, the boyfriend, is mysteriously replaced by Stan, and I confess that I don't like him much.
Despite these changes, I greatly enjoyed the movie and considering it was made for television, it is a satisfying ghost story for a Saturday afternoon. It is divided into parts on Youtube. Here is part one for you to get started:
An added bonus for me in finding The House That Would Not Die was finding the Youtube station TV Terror Land. Imagine finding 1970s-1980s scary television shows that you thought you would never see again! There will be more reviews on some of those shows later!
