Family memories, ghost stories, and the tale of a family member's untimely death are all woven together in a portrait of a childhood living in Duluth, Minnesota in Ghosts of Fourth Street.
In Laurie Hertzel's new memoir, the story is told through her own eyes, but as a child. "I was a very observant child," says Hertzel. "I was very curious, I kind of hid a lot in the house because I liked to be alone." Living with her parents and nine siblings, life was always active.
From the onset, Hertzel alludes to her older brother's death. Withholding any details about this tragic family event casts a foreboding shadow to tales of running around the neighborhood. Also casting a shadow throughout the book is Guv - Laurie's father. A presence in the house and in the story, Laurie's father can be caring and humorous on one page, and temperamental and aggressive on the next.
Although there are several moments of ghost stories being recounted, as well as reports of actual ghost sightings and a purportedly haunted house, the idea of ghosts in Hertzel's memoir can largely be aligned with the idea of memories. Much like presumption regarding the supernatural, memories change and are fleeting. "Ghosts are memories," says Hertzel. "Ghosts live among us in a lot of different ways. Maybe not everyone would call them ghosts, but that's how I see them."
Ghosts of Fourth Street is available at many booksellers including Zenith Bookstore, who will also be hosting an author event with Laurie Hertzel at 7pm on April 9th at Ursa Minor.
Minnesota Reads is produced at The North 103.3 with funding provided in part by the Minnesota Arts and Cultural Heritage Fund.
