May 8, 2012

Book Review: Dreaming of the Dead

Katie May 8, 2012 2Comments

 Dreaming of the dead is written by Marilou Trask-Curtin and talks about the real life experiences that she has had with the dead.  When she was four she had a near death experience and since then she has been able to communite with those who have passed.

She grew up being raised by her grandparents, who both passed away within 4 months of each other when she was just 18 years old.  Her grandmother went first and came back to tell her that she missed her grandfather terribly.  He died 4 months later.  He returned to let her know where his safe deposit box was hidden while she and her boyfriend Butch were looking around the house for it to bring it to the bank.

Butch also came to her in a dream to let her know that he had died. Some months later a relative asked her if she knew about Butch and when she replied that he died, the relative was shocked. 

Some of the stories seem a bit far fetched – but are interesting all the same – embellished or not.  While at Gillette’s castle (in Connecticut!) she decided to write a biography on William Gillette and he visited her in her dreams several times to give her permission to write it and check on her progress.  Also while she was in Connecticut she had dreams of Mark Twain and Harriet Beecher Stowe (all of which have homes / museums here in Connecticut, though I’ve yet to visit either).

I too am sometimes “connected” with those who have passed in my dreams – mainly just my maternal grandparents though, never anyone else.  They tend to pop up in other dreams though, for Marilou it seems like there are special dreams from these people just for her.  Mine are more like interruptions, they pop up out of nowhere to tell me something. Sometimes what they tell me makes sense, othertimes I am baffled.

Although I did once have a visitor in my room, though the fact that I could only see their back has led to much speculation over whether it was my uncle or great grandfather (who died in the bed that I was sleeping in at the time.)  The figure seemed to be young which led us all to believe that it was my uncle who was killed in vietnam, but Marilou writes that some of her dreams included her grandfather and British actor Jeremy Brett looking much younger than they were when they had passed.  So I guess I’ll never know who it was, unless they decide to come by again and let me see their face!

I found this book to be incredibly interesting and for once it was a book with “ghosts” that didn’t really freak me out! (I even read chapter 1 while in bed trying to fall asleep!)   Although now the urge to check out Mark Twain’s house has gotten even stronger – and maybe we’ll have to check out Harriett Beecher Stowe’s home and Gillette castle as well!

I received a free e-copy of this book through NetGalley from Llewellyn Worldwide.  I was not asked to write a positive review and all opinions are 100% mine.

About the Book

Ever since a near-death experience when she was four, Marilou Trask-Curtin has been able to communicate with spirits, primarily in unusually vivid and realistic dreams. Over the years she has seen many spirits, and has communicated with her first love, her beloved grandfather, and even British actor Jeremy Brett, with whom she’d grown close through years of correspondence. The spirits come to offer advice, reassurance, or to let her know they have died or are about to-this includes her companion animals who return to show they’re as full of health and joy as their human counterparts in spirit. The author also tells of dream visits from historical “mentor” figures such as Samuel L. Clemens and Harriet Beecher Stowe, as well as many others. Dreaming of the Dead offers readers an incredibly compelling journey to the world that awaits us all on the other side of life’s doorway.