Cursed in New England: Stories of Damned Yankees [Paperback]

In his new book, Joseph Citro thoroughly explores the history and folklore of death and misfortune brought about through the power of words. And Citro doesn't disappoint. The book is fascinating, educational, entertaining and hard to put down. The curses that unfold in these pages stretch from the earliest days of New England colonialism through the modern age of politics.

Of course, there must be an entry from the days of Salem's witch hysteria, and Citro supplies the eerie tale of Giles Corey, an elderly man pressed to death for refusing to consent to trial, and whose dying curse plagued generations of Salem sheriffs. In a land where Native Americans paid a dear price to Europe's colonial spirit, you'll find numerous Indian curses such as the one that ravaged the town of Burton and another that made a death-trap of the Saco River.

The horrifying fate of Rogers' Rangers follows hard on the heels of plunder and slaughter. The entire population of Dudleytown felt the power of a curse. A luxury steamer on Lake Champlain burned to the water after being cursed by a displaced passenger. The ancient tree of Tarkiln demanded its due respect. And an entire island in Boston Harbor disappeared after a man executed there vowed it would be so.

Citro even takes on the mighty Kennedy clan, revealing the tradition of bad luck that has followed family members through several generations and has repeatedly dashed their hopes for power. Although reluctant to veer into a sensational "tabloid" style of writing, Citro rightly explains that the greatest New England curse of the 20th century can hardly be ignored.

Citro has a pleasant way of telling tales; this is the sort of fellow you want sitting in the best chair at a fireside gathering, regaling the party with stories. He lays down the stories in an engaging narrative, then follows it up with citations from available research and his own experiences. The personal touch is a delightful extra step that is lacking from many books in this genre. From cursed springs to damned village, he's been there, and he records his impressions of the experience.

When his research debunks a legend, he provides the explanation. In one case, for instance, the well-known story of a self-inflicted curse has its roots in a work of early fiction that spread and was accepted as truth.

CURSED IN NEW ENGLAND is, to my way of thinking, the best non-fiction Joseph A Citro has done. It seems each story gets a bit more length and development than in past books, and so they really take on some power. At the same time he does his usual good job of straddling the fence, or actually avoiding the fence, on the old "true or not" question. Joseph Citro is definitely becoming this century's and New England's Washington Irving -- preserving all the area's wonderful myths and stories. Good job.

If you're at all familiar with Mr. Citro, then you already know that he is the authority on New England stories of oddities. His books are well written, his research very thorough, and his subject matter captivating. Here we have a collection of stories involving curses and even if you don't believe in them, the aftermath is very compelling. I really enjoyed the chapter on the Kennedy tragedies, as I had never heard the complete story.