If You Love Widow's Bay, Read These Books Next
If you have been watching Widow's Bay on Apple TV+ and finding yourself equal parts spooked and delighted, you are in very good company. The show, created by Katie Dippold and starring Matthew Rhys, is set on a fictional New England island town afflicted by a centuries-old curse that brings fog, spectral figures, and all manner of supernatural trouble to its unsuspecting residents. It has a soothingly retro feel, looking back to horror stories of the 70s and 80s, like a Stranger Things intended for grown-ups.
What makes the show so addictive is that rare tonal tightrope walk: it is genuinely funny and genuinely scary, often in the same scene. If you find yourself craving more of that North Shore historic (and maybe haunted) vibe, we have some books for you. Here are our picks for readers who can't get enough of Widow's Bay.
For the Cursed New England Atmosphere
Read about where the stories from the show evolved from.
The taverns of colonial New England were gathering places for Revolutionary Patriots, nerve centers for spreading vital news and sanctuaries for outlawed organizations. Perhaps inevitably, certain pubs bore witness to ghastly deeds and sorrowful tragedies. Some of them became tinged with the aura of the supernatural. Through firsthand interviews with dozens of pub owners and employees, author Roxie J. Zwicker has discovered tales of hauntings in which bartenders have their drinks mysteriously upended, waitresses find dining room objects scattered about bizarrely and other staff and patrons catch sudden glimpses of ghostly figures. Read Haunted Pubs of New England to uncover the spine-tingling lore lurking within New England's oldest taverns.
A Guide to Haunted New England
Visitors and New England natives alike will see a new side of the region through Thomas D'Agostino's eerie road trip guidebook.
He captures the reader's imagination with folklore and anecdotes, plus recommendations useful for any traveler. This guide uncovers lingering spirits across all six states in the region, from the victims of alchemy gone awry in the White Mountains, to wraiths in the Berkshires, to the ghosts of drowned sailors in Mystic, Connecticut. Enjoy these retellings of classic New England ghost stories and discover obscure ones, and then go visit the spooky sights for yourself.
For the Ensemble of Eccentric Locals
From the time the first handful of night lunch wagons served up their simple fare on the streets of the North Shore in 1890, residents from every social and economic standing have frequented these familiar beacons of hospitality and their descendants, the diners. Over the course of the sixty years that followed, the area's manufacturing, transportation, and recreation centers provided the hungry clientele who helped spur the metamorphosis of the humble lunch wagon into the sleek, efficient, and friendly eatery known as the diner.
Diners of the North Shore is a fascinating collection of many previously unpublished images from the golden age of the diner. Bearing names such as Hesperus in Gloucester, Lafayette in Salem, and Suntaug in Peabody, these eat-on-the-run oases provided their customers with not only a square meal but also an atmosphere as welcoming as one's kitchen. From the primitive Night Owl lunch wagon to the art deco-inspired Sterling Streamliner, Diners of the North Shore showcases each diner's unique character, along with the colorful personalities who ran them.
For the Retro Vibes
Hardy Gloucester men and large fishing vessels known as Gloucestermen were ever-present along the busy waterfront of the North Shore city between the mid-19th century and the early years of the 20th century.
As part of the giant fishing industry, the vessels, which were owned by Yankee, Portuguese, and Italian fishermen, were a dramatic and colorful accent along the inner harbor. In the 1830s, artists discovered the charms of the fishing port of Gloucester and around forty years later, others were in Rockport. The art colony at Rocky Neck in East Gloucester is the earliest in America and was visited, or lived in, by many prominent painters. Tourists of the past also took delight in the attractive areas of Cape Ann where they could while away a summer vacation in a fancy hotel along the rugged shore, explore the local sites, view the mysterious former settlement of Dogtown, or inspect the many granite quarries that were active from the 1820s to the Great Depression.
Nestled on the island peninsula of Cape Ann on the North Shore of Massachusetts, Gloucester, known as “America’s Oldest Seaport,” was founded in 1623 by farmers and fishermen from Dorchester, England, as the first permanent European settlement in Massachusetts.
This had been the second European attempt at settling the area, and though it initially struggled, Gloucester maintained its status as a fishing village and became a major New England commercial port in the centuries to come. Its growth granted it national notoriety for its robust maritime culture and economy and led to its eventual distinction as a tourist and fine arts destination as well. Additionally, Gloucester is bordered by the towns of Rockport, Manchester-by-the-Sea, and Essex, all of which have played their own unique roles in the development of the Cape Ann area.
Read More About the North Shore and the Haunts of "Widow's Bay"
Whether you are here for the laughs, the scares, or the sheer pleasure of watching a show that refuses to play it safe, these books share the same spirits as one of the best new shows on television right now. Grab one, find a foggy evening, and enjoy.