Here’s this week’s topic for Nonfiction November:
Week 3 (11/11-11/15) Book Pairings: This week, pair up a nonfiction book with a fiction title. Maybe it’s a historical novel and the real history in a nonfiction version, or a memoir and a novel, or a fiction book you’ve read and you would like recommendations for background reading. Or two books on two different areas have chimed and have a link. You can be as creative as you like! (hosted by Liz at Adventures in Reading, Running and Working from Home).
The nonfiction title:
The Haunting of Alma Fielding by Kate Summerscale
Because I’m currently reading Kate Summerscale’s new book, The Peepshow, I decided to focus on her previous book, The Haunting of Alma Fielding, which was published in 2020. Here’s how I described the book in my review:
Like Summerscale’s others, this is a non-fiction book based on a true story, in this case the story of an ordinary thirty-four-year-old woman, Alma Fielding, who becomes the centre of paranormal activity in her London home. The book follows Nandor Fodor of the International Institute for Psychical Research as he investigates Alma’s claims, desperately hoping that this time – after being disappointed by a long line of frauds – he has finally come across a genuine haunting.
At first, having witnessed for himself the smashed glasses, spinning teacups, moving furniture and broken eggs, Fodor is convinced that a poltergeist is at work in the Fielding household. The more he learns about Alma’s abilities, which include producing live animals out of thin air and transporting herself from one area of London to another, the more intrigued he becomes…until, eventually, he begins to have doubts. Is this a real paranormal phenomenon he is investigating or is Alma haunted by something very different?
The fiction titles:
I couldn’t decide on just one book to pair with the Kate Summerscale, so I’ve picked three of them:
The Other Side of Mrs Wood by Lucy Barker is set in Victorian London and is the story of a fraudulent but successful medium who, like Alma Fielding, is able to ‘apport’ (transport by spiritual means) herself and other objects.
The Little Stranger by Sarah Waters also features a house – Hundreds Hall in Warwickshire – that appears to be haunted by a poltergeist. Is the ghost real or is there a more rational explanation?
In Spitting Gold by Carmella Lowkis, two sisters in 19th century Paris trick grieving victims out of their money by convincing them they are being haunted by departed family members – and then promising to lay the ghosts to rest.
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Have you read any of these books? What else would you pair with The Haunting of Alma Fielding?
She Reads Novels 
I’ve never really read a nonfiction book about a haunting or something similar, which is weird because I am interested in all things paranormal. So I’m definitely adding The Haunting of Alma Fielding to my list. Thanks for sharing!
If you’re interested in the paranormal I think you would probably enjoy The Haunting of Alma Fielding. I used to read a lot of books on that topic but not so many these days.
The Haunting is still on my TBR, but I’m still eager to read it. Thanks for sharing your pairings
I hope you like it, whenever you get round to reading it!
Nice work!
Thanks!
I have never read a nonfiction book about a haunting. It seems to have received a lot of positive reviews.
I’ve liked some of Kate Summerscale’s other books better, but it was an interesting topic.
I haven’t read any of these but they sound tempting. I might stretch a point and count “The Haunting of Alma Fielding” as my True Crime book for the Nonfiction Reader Challenge. Since you recommend Summerscale so highly I have to try something by her.
I was tempted by the Nonfiction Reader Challenge earlier in the year, but I know I would have struggled to find books I wanted to read for some of those categories.
I thought I would too, but I managed (even with Architecture and Transportation). I think for next year I may come up with categories I want to read for myself.
Oh, these are good matchups, and I have read all of them except Spitting Gold.
Alma Fielding was easy to match books up with! I could probably have listed more than three.
Yeah, I read that one this year, but I didn’t think about how it would match up.
Nice one: I heartily approve of the one-to-many comparison!
There are lots of different ways to approach this topic, aren’t there? Thanks for hosting it!
I’ve only read The Little Stranger, but I’d like to read the Kate Summerscale one. I really enjoyed The Suspicions of Mr. Whicher. 😀
I think The Suspicions of Mr Whicher is my favourite Kate Summerscale book. The Wicked Boy is another good one.
Ooh, good one! Another Sarah Waters novel—Affinity—in which one of the main characters is a fraudulent spirit medium, would also fit the bill here.
Yes, Affinity would have been a great choice as well. I’ve enjoyed all of Sarah Waters’ books!
I’ve only got The Night Watch and Tipping the Velvet left, I think!
That’s a terrific cluster of books!
I read The Other Side of Mrs Wood this year (The Other Side of Mrs. Wood #BookReview #BriFri – Joy’s Book Blog) and it reminded me of another recent novel: The London Seance Society by Sarah Penner.
I haven’t read The London Seance Society yet. That sounds like another book that could be paired with The Haunting of Alma Fielding!
I haven’t read anything about a haunting–fiction or nonfic, but I am tempted by the titles you have here!
I’m glad you’re tempted. All of these books were interesting in different ways!
Such great pairings!
Thanks!