In Enchanted Ground, Sharon Hatfield brings to life the true story of a nineteenth-century farmer-turned-medium, Jonathan Koons, one of thousands of mediums throughout the antebellum United States. In the hills outside Athens, Ohio, Koons built a house where it was said the dead spoke to the living, and where ancient spirits communicated the wisdom of the ages. Curious believers, in homespun and in city attire, traveled from as far as New Orleans to a remote Appalachian cabin whose marvels would rival any of P. T. Barnum's attractions.
Yet Koons's story is much more than showmanship and sleight of hand. His enterprise, not written about in full until now, embodied the excitement and optimism of citizens breaking free from societal norms. Reform-minded dreamers were drawn to Koons's seances as his progressive brand of religion displaced the gloomy Calvinism of previous generations. As heirs to the Second Great Awakening, which stretched from New York State to the far reaches of the Northwest Territory, the curious, the faithful, and Koons himself were part of a larger, uniquely American moment that still marks the cultural landscape today.

In a fascinating work of religious history and cultural inquiry, Hatfield brings to life the true story of a nineteenth-century farmer-spiritualist, Jonathan Koons, whom thousands traveled to Ohio to see. As heirs to the second Great Awakening, he and his followers were part of a larger, uniquely American moment that still marks the culture today.

About the Author
Sharon Hatfield is an award-winning journalist and nonfiction writer. Her interest in Appalachian letters and history led to her writing Never Seen the Moon: The Trials of Edith Maxwell and coediting An American Vein: Critical Readings in Appalachian Literature. She lives in Athens, Ohio, with her husband.

Reviews
"This is a marvelous book. It reads like a novel or a screenplay but also functions as a prism that opens up into dozens of other important aspects of nineteenth-century American religion: spiritualism, Johnny Appleseed, Swedenborgianism, atheism, social reform, women's rights, psychometry, and so on. Perhaps most significantly of all, the author's rare combination of humanistic sympathy, intellectual generosity, and healthy doubt is a model of what this kind of historiography can be."
"The work of Jonathan Koons, and, indeed, midwestern Spiritualism in general, has often been overlooked, so Enchanted Ground is a welcome contribution to the field. The book has many strengths, not least of which are its evocative descriptions. Hatfield's skill as a researcher, writer, and story-teller make this book appropriate for both scholarly and general readers." * Nova Religio *
"An unbiased, rich story that situates the historic and consequential acts of 'the Venerable Jonathan Koons' and the events that took place in southeast Ohio in wider modern spiritualist and reform movement contexts. Hatfield clearly illustrates the comfort, hope, and sense of community Koons's supporters found in his seances, imaginative stories, and ostensible ability to connect the living with the dead." * Ohio History *
"Sharon Hatfield has made a painstaking examination of Koons's life and career. A fascinating snapshot of the Spiritualist movement in its infancy." * Journal of Scientific Exploration *
"Hatfield offers a solid biography of one of the most famous and influential spiritualists of the nineteenth century.... Those interested in the hope and optimism spiritualism engendered will enjoy Hatfield's biographical appreciation of a fascinating figure." * Journal of Parapsychology *
"By an evocative rendition of his story, Hatfield neatly dispels the view that Koons's 'spirit room' was just one more trivial example of the public's fascination with nineteenth century spiritualism. Instead, her explanation of Koons's influence in Ohio and the Midwest clearly establishes his significance as one of the most important mediums of the era."
"Hatfield demonstrates well (Koons's) enormous impact on the spiritualist movement, with his popular spirit room becoming a major pilgrimage site in early American spiritualism, serving as a major source of inspiration for later spiritualist practitioners in the 1850s and beyond.... Although this book is of obvious interest to scholars of spiritualism, it should also be of interest also to scholars working in various other subfields of religious studies.... Having done the painstaking work of compiling and organizing the history of Koons and his circle, Hatfield has provided scholars with an important resource...." * Journal of the American Academy of Religion *
"(Enchanted Ground) is more than a spiritual biography of one man, it is an history of early Spiritualism in the Midwest.... It would be hard to come away from reading this book without having a deeper understanding of this critical first decade of Spiritualism." * The National Spiritualist Summit *
"Hatfield is a skilled writer and this book is both entertaining and a valuable contribution to the psychical research literature." * Society for Psychical Research Journal *
Hatfield's depth of research and reporting in Enchanted Ground is one of the book's greatest assets, but it is her luminous writing that makes the story as readable as it is trustworthy. -- Sarah Beth Hopton * Appalachian Journal *



Book Information
ISBN 9780804012089
Author Sharon Hatfield
Format Hardback
Page Count 360
Imprint Swallow Press
Publisher Ohio University Press