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This originally ran in the pre-crisis publication, Evolved. –Terry
Grave’s End
Author: Elaine Mercado
Publisher: Llewellyn Publications
Released: May 2001Grave’s End is a true story about a real family facing a real crisis. While I cannot confirm that the ghosts in Grave’s End are real, there can be no doubt as to the corporeal beings. If the specters and shadows and globes of light that haunt Grave’s End can be called into question, the strength and love and compassion Elaine Mercado reveals in her account cannot be.
Grave’s End is a true story about the Mercado family’s experiences with the presences that occupy their house. These experiences more resemble 1960’s character-driven The Haunting rather than 1999’s effects-driven version. And while Mercado’s tale lacks the rising horror of Amityville, the paranormal encroachment on Mercado’s familial relationship is all the more interesting.
While the cleansing of the haunted house is the drive in most ghost stories, Mercado’s tale is more of a personal cleansing. Her husband remains skeptical about ghosts and as more spectral events occur, the more detached he grows. Also one of her daughters seems to be targeted by the otherworldly inhabitants. As time passes, it becomes clearer that Mercado’s success in dealing with the ghosts is dependent on her success in strengthening her family.
Elaine Mercado has written a testimonial on living with ghosts, one that is insightful and unsettling, if not horrifying. I would highly recommend this book to anyone who believes in ghosts and/or wonders if their house, too, might be haunted. Although some literature about the supernatural delves too much into specialized vocabulary (and parts of Grave’s End did have its share of psychical researchers commenting on “vortexes” and “the light”), this book is ideal for all readers. For those more knowledgeable about the occult, noted parapsychologist Hans Holzer introduces this book and makes what amounts to a cameo appearance towards the end.
Mercado’s depiction of the supernatural events lacks the dramatic pull of a fictional ghost story [we exorcised a pun involving ghostwriters here- Eds.]. However, the text remains chilling for those who can accept Mercado’s claim. What all readers can take away from this book, however, is Mercado’s inspirational account of how she took charge of her life in the face of the supernatural, overcoming a loveless marriage and strengthening her relationship with her daughters.
Grave’s End: a True Ghost Story by Elaine Mercado. Llewellyn Publications, 2001. $12.95