History comes alive in this textured account of the rivalry between Harry Houdini and the so-called Witch of Lime Street, whose iconic lives intersected at a time when science was on the verge of embracing the paranormal.The 1920s are famous as the golden age of jazz and glamour, but it was also an era of fevered yearning for communion with the spirit world, after the loss of tens of millions in … tens of millions in the First World War and the Spanish-flu epidemic. A desperate search for reunion with dead loved ones precipitated a tidal wave of self-proclaimed psychics—and, as reputable media sought stories on occult phenomena, mediums became celebrities.
Against this backdrop, in 1924, the pretty wife of a distinguished Boston surgeon came to embody the raging national debate over Spiritualism, a movement devoted to communication with the dead. Reporters dubbed her the blonde Witch of Lime Street, but she was known to her followers simply as Margery. Her most vocal advocate was none other than Sherlock Holmes’ creator Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, who believed so thoroughly in Margery’s powers that he urged her to enter a controversial contest, sponsored by Scientific American and offering a large cash prize to the first medium declared authentic by its impressive five-man investigative committee. Admired for both her exceptional charm and her dazzling effects, Margery was the best hope for the psychic practice to be empirically verified. Her supernatural gifts beguiled four of the judges. There was only one left to convince…the acclaimed escape artist, Harry Houdini.
David Jaher’s extraordinary debut culminates in the showdown between Houdini, a relentless unmasker of charlatans, and Margery, the nation’s most credible spirit medium. The Witch of Lime Street, the first book to capture their electric public rivalry and the competition that brought them into each other’s orbit, returns us to an oft-mythologized era to deepen our understanding of its history, all while igniting our imagination and engaging with the timeless question: Is there life after death?
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I knew nothing about this time in American History but since I’ve always been fascinated by Houdini, I picked this up. Well written with a balance of viewpoints, The Witch of Lime Street is a must read.
My Rating: 5 stars
I found this book both interesting and entertaining. Especially for fans of Harry Houdini, I recommend it. A different “path” taken in the telling of this master magician’s life and dealings with Spiritualism.
In this meticulously researched and entertaining work, David Jaher explores a largely forgotten chapter in Anglo-American history—the post-World War I rise of spiritualism, born of a deep desire to commune with the spirits of slain soldiers. The cast of fascinating, masterfully drawn characters ranges from Harry Houdini, a supreme rationalist, to Margery Crandon, a self-proclaimed Boston medium with a huge following. This is, on a deep level, a cautionary tale of the bizarre, painful deception and self-deception associated with human unwillingness to accept the finality of death—especially youthful death.
An in depth look at Harry Houdini’s battle against medium Mina Crandon (known to her followers as Margery) in a time when spiritualists were courted as celebrities. When the Scientific American launches a contest, offering a sizable a cash reward to any spiritualist who can hold up under the scrutiny of a panel of judges, proving true communication with the dead, mediums crawl out of the woodwork. As part of the panel, Houdini and others unmask many as frauds, but are split when it comes to Margery whose displays of physic ability appear genuine—at least in the opinion of most of the judges, with the exception of Houdini.
This is a wonderfully detailed and obviously impeccably researched book that brings the Jazz age and America’s fascination with mysticism to life. The reader is treated to Houdini’s friendship with Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, the ups and downs of their relationship, Houdini’s doggedness in his quest to expose charlatans—particularly Margery—and the numerous people who moved in their circles.
The chapters are mostly short, so although the book is somewhat lengthy, it reads like a breeze. Mr. Jaher has a beautiful way with prose that brings each section vividly to life, presenting history and research in a manner that reads like a page-turner. The reader is thoroughly transported to another time when people flocked to séances on a regular basis, delighting in the displays of channeled spirts, bell ringing, raps, table levitation and more. I spent several days thoroughly immersed in this book, enthralled by the time period and the people who populated it, saddened to see it end.
A perfectly told mystery story involving a famed early 20th century medium, who thrilled her followers and puzzled even celebrity skeptics such as Harry Houdini. This compelling book by David Jaher is a genuinely lovely exploration of our belief systems, both magical and rational. I can promise you that once you finish it, you’ll want to sit down and read it again. That’s exactly what I did.
As a Houdini fan of long standing, I ehjoyed this quite informative aspect of his later life, however it did tend to drag. Ptherwise the book appeared well researched and enlightening.
Incredibly well researched.
Fascinating small corner of history.
The battle of wits between Houdini and psychic “Marjorie” kept me turning the pages.
The Witch of Lime Street seemed to be very well researched, and the author is a good writer. But it was significantly less interesting than the historical characters it dealt with. I certainly learned a lot, but overall it was seemed to be all windup and no pitch.
Reads like a collection of mysterious tarot cards—Ouija boards, bizarre madame mediums, and yes our friend the Great Houdini. Read it if you dare.
Jaher’s meticulously researched account of Scientific American’s infamous contest to find an authentic medium had me racing through the pages to find out how it all turns out. To keep this spoiler-free I’ll just say that the paranormal showdown of the early 20th century doesn’t wrap up how you may think.
I had no idea the lengths to which Houdini went to try and discredit spiritualism, nor the depths of Conan-Doyle’s interest and support in it. I found the book rather disjointed in its arrangement, but the information was fascinating and propelled me into further research about Margery (Mina) Crandon and her skills as a medium.