This book connects the rise of spiritualism in the nineteenth century to the era’s most pressing issues, particularly abolition and women’s rights. The author’s reflections on the recent loss of her father give the reader a sense of continuity, grounding the broader cultural and historical themes in intimate experience. Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ARC of this enjoyable and informative audiobook.

I love everything about the occult and esoterism and it's always interesting and compelling to see a skeptical person do research about it, experience some situations (here a seance and energetic healing and other things) and opening their mind.
Ilise S. Carter wanted to know more even if she didn't believe but was very open about mediumship and energy. Along with her personal journey, she madecablot of historical research about beliefs and feminism. I'm happy to have read this.

The narrator was great, every emotion from the writer was in her voice and she makes the experience nice to listen to.

I enjoyed this look into a weird side of history! While I was already familiar with a fair amount of the early history of ghost hunting, it was fascinating to learn more about the feminist side of it! I enjoyed the chapters on adjacent topics as well, such as Voodoo, chiropractic practices, and Houdini!

For me, the author inserted herself into the narrative a little too much. I’m more interested in the topic of the book than her own personal experiences.

I listened to the audiobook format for this and it was great for keeping me engaged. Janelle Tedesco does a great job of narrating in an enthusiastic professor voice!

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Media for the ALC!

I was drawn to When We Spoke to the Dead by Ilise S. Carter because a fiction book I read recently and loved dealt with this subject matter. There were some chapters that I was interested in and I liked how the author weaved her life into the stories. The narrator can make or break an audiobook for me and unfortunately Janelle Tedesco’s narration isn’t my favorite. I am used to a narrator using different voices for different characters in the fiction audiobooks that I listen to. This just feels like the narrator reading the book to me in kind of a monotonous style and I didn’t connect to the stories in any way. Non-fiction books are out of my comfort zone and that’s also a me thing. ALC was provided by Tantor Media/Tantor Audio via NetGalley. I received an audiobook listening copy for free and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

If you’re a fan of specific historical angles and their implications on wider society today, this one is for you. A meeting point between the passion interests of a goth nerd and history buff, this history of spiritualism in its point in time was well done. I enjoyed it!

4.25/5. Thank you to Netgalley, Ilise Carter, and the publisher for the ALC.

Spiritualism, mediumship, and the history of how we have always tried to cross the veil into the beyond has been an interest of mine for a young age. So while there was a lot that I knew here, the most interesting part was the framework of <i>how</i> these practices not only developed but encouraged women to enter the narratives they were blocked from in history. Mediumship as a means for female empowerment is now something I'll need to start studying!

This isn't so much a research account relayed factually as a journey. We follows Carter after her father's death as she starts to really consider the beyond and how this has always been of interest in times of passing. She educates us as she educates herself, traveling to different places on spooky vacations (Lily Dale, NY; Salem, MA; NOLA; etc.) and speaking with people who have been involved in the different aspects of speaking with the dead throughout the years.

What I do think will draw some readers away (but that I liked personally) were the personal opinions on politics and current issues. Some may fit into the book's flow better than others. And while I appreciate her opinion (since I share many of them), other readers may be completely drawn out of the focus by them.

Thank you, Ilise S. Carter, for a new rabbit hole to explore!

Thank you to Tantor Media | Tantor Audio, the author and NetGalley for an LRC in return for an honest review

Ilise S Carter's book is an engaging blend of cultural history, memoir and commentary that explores how Spiritualism gave 19th-century American women a public voice, at a time when society largely silenced them. The audiobook, narrated by Janelle Tedesco, adds intimacy and warmth to the material, making the subject come alive.

The book shines when it traces the rise of Spiritualism from the Fox Sisters onward, showing how mediumship created space for women to speak with authority in parlours, pulpits and even political circles. Carter draws lively connections between séances and suffrage, grief and empowerment, belief and performance. Her tone is witty and approachable, making dense history feel accessible and she highlights how these early practices echo in today’s wellness and mysticism culture.

I found this a fascinating read and as an audiobook, the conversational style and vivid storytelling are well served by Tedesco’s narration, which balances clarity with warmth. Listeners may find the audio particularly effective given the subject’s theatrical and performative nature.

Overall, this is a compelling, original exploration of an overlooked aspect of American history. It is strongest as cultural storytelling and personal reflection rather than academic history, but for those interested in feminism, Spiritualism or the intersections of belief and empowerment, it offers both insight and entertainment.

#WhenWeSpoketotheDead #NetGalley

Very interesting read. I learned a lot of things I didn't before and how the origins of it all started.

A creative nonfiction book about haunted women? Sold. As a lover of the gothic, I love leaarning more about the historical context of modern ghost stories. This book did a great job at capturing the cultural legacy of spiritualism in America and its intersection with the political and social empowerment of women. I also love a book that blends genre and Carter beautifully blends cultural criticism, memoir, and historical storytelling. The only downfall I can think of is the cis-white feminist sheen that coats aspects of this book—but this is called out by the author herself, so is less of a criticism and more of a note on narrative perspective. What I really love, however, was the undercurrent of grief. This felt like the central thesis of this book, specifically how spirituality and the occult are used as a form of mourning. Overall, a great read.

Part history, part memoir, part travelogue, this book is an entertaining dive into American spiritualism and the ways it lingers with us today. As a history buff, I didn’t find much new when it comes to the history (though I was surprised to learn that chiropractic practice has its roots in spiritualism). That said, I really enjoyed it for the parallels Carter draws to our own time.

She shows how spiritualism first took hold during political upheaval and mass death (the Civil War then, Covid now), amid widespread distrust of authority. Just like today, that environment created fertile ground for charlatans to profit from people’s fears and needs, often spreading misinformation in the process. Those echoes made the story feel immediate and relevant. I also appreciated her focus on how spiritualism gave a voice to people who were often marginalized, especially women. Her disco analogy—that the movement began as a form of expression for the underprivileged, only to be co-opted and dismissed once it became a punchline—was spot on.

What resonated most with me was that Carter balanced a genuine curiosity about ritual and practice of spiritualism, while still being firmly rooted in a belief in science.

Overall, this is a fun, smart, and accessible primer on spiritualism in the U.S. and its lasting effects today. If you’re curious about the topic, definitely read (or listen to) this book!

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advance copy of the audiobook in exchange for my honest review

Our fascination with the occult has roots that go back millennia, but it was the spiritualism movement of the late 19th and early 20th century that sparked the imaginations of people around the world. This book looks back on the dawn of spiritualism, particularly after World War I and the Spanish flu had taken so many lives. People were desperate to contact their departed loved ones for a final goodbye. Women, beginning with the infamous. Fox sisters were quick to capitalize on this need. Their ability to empathize and show compassion, made them uniquely, suited for the role of medium/spiritualist. This is a fascinating book that captures a unique period in time where women were finding their voices, just as they finally earned the right to vote