Ammie, Come Home

by Barbara Michaels

Book Overview

It begins as a lark -- a harmless diversion initiated by Washington, D.C., hostess Ruth Bennett as a means of entertaining her visiting niece, Sara. But the sTance conducted in Ruth's elegant Georgetown home calls something back; something unwelcome ... and palpably evil. Suddenly Sara is speaking in a voice not her own, transformed into a miserable, whimpering creature so unlike her normal, sensible self. No tricks or talismans will dispel the malevolence...

• Format: Mass Market Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 0425099490
• ISBN13: 9780425099490
• Release Date: May 1987
• Publisher: Berkley Books
• Length: 352 Pages
• Weight: 0.33 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.7" x 4.2" x 6.8"

Customer Reviews

Kept me up way past my bedtime! Excellent!

This neat little book was written fairly early in Barbara Michael's writing career. Though originally published in 1969, it holds its strength and value still today, telling a thrilling ghost story that is timeless.The book begins with the enchanting story of Ruth Bennet, owner of a historic old Georgetown home, inherited from an elderly aunt, and her niece. Her niece Sara, who she dearly loves, came to live with her while attending college nearby. Ruth meets one of Sara's professors who takes a liking to her and asks her out. She goes with him to a party at his wealthy mother's home where a séance is held with very little result -- the medium feels little. Ruth, out of sympathy for hostess and medium, invites them to come to her home for a dinner party. While there, they hold a séance with far more complex results. Sara is briefly possessed by a lonely spirit and the medium feels the intensity of an evil spirit. The party breaks up with the medium fleeing with fear from the party.Four characters are central to this story, Ruth, the professor friend, Sara, and her boyfriend. They all reserve some degree of skepticism regarding whether the house is actually haunted. During the story they read into past Georgetown history to find answers, all the while experiencing escalating supernatural events that they cannot explain. It finally wraps up in a stunning conclusion that'll take your breath away. If you love ghost stories and love mysteries, this book is a sure bet for you. I started reading it and stayed up way past my bedtime! Buy it, borrow it, get it, read it. You'll be glad you did!

Ammie Come Home

Barbara Michaels weaves a web of supernatural "reality" around a 1960s era Washington, DC suburban neighborhood. The web is so well woven, so gripping, that you don't want to escape. Fiction becomes reality as the presence of a malevolent evil focuses in on an innocent teenager and her aunt. Read this one with the lights on and don't be surprised if the chill creeping up your spine doesn't come from the temperature in the room. I was 14 years old the first time I "met" Barbara Michaels in a Readers Digest Condensed Book and "Ammie Come Home" was our introduction. Since that time, I haved read every book she has written, including those written under other names and have kept every one of them. I finally managed to find my own paperback copy of "Ammie Come Home" - in fact I have two- one is so dog-eared from my years of reading it sits on the book shelf like an antique porcelain doll. That one is just to look at. The other I share with my 20 year-old daughter, as I share all my books. When it comes to creating a haunting presence, there's no one like Barbara Michaels.

I Just Keep Coming Back!

I first read "Ammie, Come Home" as a Reader's Digest Condensed Book in 1969. Since acquiring the full text version (hopeless trying to borrow it at the library because it was always out!) I just keep going back and back to read it again. Ruth and Pat, Sara and Bruce, are old friends now and the atmosphere grips me and holds me till I've finished every time.

One of my all time favorite books

I got my copy of Ammie Come Home when my school library was discarding books, and I'm glad that they did. I feel that this book is simply wonderful. The characters natures are subtly reveled, and within a short period of time you feel as if you have known them for your whole life. The imagery is superb, as is the dialogue. This is one of my favorite books, and I have read it over twenty times, I would recommend it to anyone who has an interest in history, the supernatural, romance, or just a good story.