Every baseball fan has heard of Babe Ruth. Every physics student knows about Albert Einstein. So everyone who ever has been interested in the paranormal or ghost hunting has heard of Hans Holzer. Right?

Except for me.

Hans Holzer practically invented the notion of ghost hunting and paranormal research. Hans has written about 140 books and I have not read a single one of them. By the way, that will soon change.

Alexandra Holzer has written Growing Up Haunted A Ghostly Memoir. Alexandra is the daughter of Hans Holzer and Catherine Buxhoeveden. Growing Up Haunted is a memoir of her parents but also tells the story of her Grandmother and Grandfather.

The book is 252 pages. It was published by Schiffer Publishing Ltd. in February 2008 under the ISBN 0764328956.

Alexandra Holzer started her career in the arts as a Graphics Designer attending The Fashion Institute of Technology. She has written a trilogy of sci-fi fantasy and has a monthly column called “Spirit Talk” which is published in many magazines. While raising four children with her husband she has written children’s short stories, poetry, and screenplays in the genres of supernatural, paranormal, and comedy.

The book starts out with the most recent interview that Hans Holzer has given. Then recaps the most notable paranormal cases Hans Holzer was involved. She gives us some information about Hans and Catherine as they grew up.

Then Alexandra tells us about the Holzer household as she was growing as a young girl. The people who used to visit their home. The notable Holzer New Year’s Eve parties they used to have. She tells us of her life abroad at their haunted summer home in Europe. We read about Catherine Buxhoeveden who is a descendant of Catherine the Great.

She finishes the book writing about her Grandparents as they struggled in Europe and America. She concludes with a couple of more published interviews with Hans and then a final chapter of where the family is today.

All through the tome she talks honestly about her family with many ghost stories and paranormal events throughout. I must say that her stories of time spent with daughter and father were the best parts of the book. Most of those stories gave us insight into Hans the man, not just Hans the ghost hunter.

As I said when I started this review that I had never heard of Hans Holzer, which is pretty odd for someone who is an editor at a web site about ghosts and spirits. After reading Growing Up Haunted A Ghostly Memoir, I know a lot more about Hans Holzer written from the unique perspective of his youngest daughter. I would think a reader who is familiar with Hans Holzer’s writing would enjoy this inside look into the man as much as I did.

One last note. I learned of this book when I listened to an interview of Alexandra Holzer on Beyond Reality Radio which is hosted by Jason Hawes and Grant Wilson of the Ghost Hunters show. Alexandra Holzer was very interesting and funny in that interview and it made me want to read this book. You can listen to that same show.

Growing Up Haunted A Ghostly Memoir is available in our store.