The Spirit of the Place

Elizabeth Walter’s short story collection, The Spirit of the Place and Other Strange Tales, is filled with the spirits of the past, wronged and ripped from their bodily vessels. Her characters operate under a certain moral code, but they are not free of a past that may have other intentions. In stories like “The Drum” and “The Sin-Eater,” past wrongs receive retribution. The weight of that injustice is a burden to carry, whether the characters are innocent or guilty. In “Davy Jones’s Tale,” two cousins form an unbreakable bond when one is left parentless through tragedy. Years later, under duress at sea, they face the reality that there are no heroes, only the dead and their vengeance for the living. In “The Traveling Companion,” Jennifer travels home by train following an accident that took her lover’s life. Accompanied by a man during the passage, she finds refuge and comfort, but also learns more about herself from this stranger than she would ever wish to know. The title story, “The Spirit of the Place,” and “The Mist” feature exchanges between characters whose paths cross by chance. These stories explore the spirit world manifesting to pass on knowledge that would have otherwise been lost to the grave. “The Thing” and “The Spider” feature an unnamed entity and a giant spider. The horror lies in the psychological torture that often amounts to a greater harm than the physical danger posed. Walter gives voice to the dead, whose presence is ubiquitous.