Reviews:
"Your book is extremely interesting. Not only does it cover the history of the founding of Cassadaga, but it describes in colorful language some of the interesting personalities of the Spiritual Camp and the early activities that went on there. The information about the community outside the campground, the cemetery, and nearby surroundings added to the mystique of the book. Thanks for providing this information to an interested transient."
Leon Curry, M.D.
author of The Doctor and The Psychic
With the writing of The Spirit Connection, the authors have continued a difficult subject, but they have personally come to know Cassadaga, the small world of spiritualism in southern Florida. This is their third book which chronicles the history and experiences of the people and events which take place there daily. The text, which explores the field of readings and psychic phenomena, is enriched by a wealth of photos both historical and recent, thus increasing the one's sense of being there.
"We are neither believers nor disbelievers and remain open-minded" state the authors, and of course we, the readers, are left to judge the authenticity of the work of this community for ourselves. But even the die-hard skeptics will become acquainted in a positive way with the people of Cassadaga.
A very good read.
Barbara Thornton
Former Windsor Star writer
Wallaceburg, Ontario
If you've ever had the slightest curiosity about what goes on in the spiritualist camp known as Cassadaga, here's a book you need to read.
Authors Janet Karcher and John Hutchinson visit the area in "The Spirit Connection -- Back to Cassadaga" after a gap of nearly three decades. They give a detailed history of the development of the town, its structures and its people, as well as the growth of the area known as the Spiritual Center of the South. They write: "This book . . . is a look at this community of spiritualists as it is today -- and as it was in 1980, one of the peak periods of interest in the philosophy and practice of Spiritualism."
During that peak, Cassadaga gained national attention, with stories in magazines, newspapers and television. Today, although the town draws people from all around the world, Karcher and Hutchinson say that "little of the exuberance of past years still remains." But in a quiet, steady, private kind of way, spiritualism has reigned here for more than a century.
The authors take the reader through the spectrum of what Cassadaga has to offer: spirit guides, mediums, clairvoyance, seances and inspirational writing, speaking and healing. You'll learn about The Spiritual Creed. You'll find out what a medium, a psychic and an astrologer are. The book concludes with chapters on surviving fraud and debunking the myths, giving readers fuel for further thought on the subject of Spiritualism.
Whether or not you ever pull off Interstate 4 in Central Florida and drive into Cassadaga, you still will enjoy the trip the authors present of this town with spirit as its backbone.
By Karen Gallagher
Books Editor
Daytona Beach New Journal