Tui SniderRecensioni

[Understanding Cemetery Symbols: A Field Guide for Historic Graveyards] by Tui Snider, 2017

While not a scholarly publication nor a professional printing, this guide is a starting place if one is prone to roaming old cemeteries and are interested in gravestone iconography or styles of stones, monuments or tombs, and other interesting bits related to cemeteries. The author has clearly put a lot of work into the book.

However, while there is a long list of acknowledgements at the front of the book, and a list of “further reading” in the back of the book, there are no references listed and no index.* Many of the photos are disappointingly grainy, which maybe the fault of the printing process, or it’s a photo of a picture.

All that said, if one is prone to pulling off the road to roam old cemeteries, this is a decent quick reference to have on hand in the back seat of the car.

*Unless the “Further Reading” list is her References…?½

The Santa Claus Bank Robbery is a quick and easy read - a delightful take on what is really a true crime work of non-fiction. In the book, author Tui Snider takes an in-depth look at a bank robbery in Cisco, Texas in 1927. Her research is clearly detailed - the book abounds with images of newspaper reports and photographs that set the stage for the period as well as the event.

But what really makes this intriguing is Snider's voice. This is not a somber, dry look at the events of this robbery. Her enthusiasm, excitement, and curiosity are quite evident in her writing, which is very conversational. (It's quite clear that Tui is someone who abounds with energy.) What adds to this feeling is the fact that some of the research she carried out was in-person legwork, through conversations with locals (some welcomed, some not, interestingly enough.)

Some of the book is spent debunking another account of the Santa Claus Bank Robbery. The 1972 writing changed names of some of the players (of which, I confess, there were so many it became difficult to keep track) and which, as Snider curiously points out, also leaves out relationships between a few the parties involved. She also searches for more clues related to a mysterious blond woman that some accounts referred to but whose existence was neither previously proven or related in the first book.

As someone new(ish) to Texas, I would have guessed that bank robberies were more prevalent in a "wild west" era - an error Snider is quick to correct. The book provides an interesting glimpse into Texas history at the time, with a few details that were surprising. Did you know that banks offered a $5,000 reward for a DEAD bank robber? If you can imagine the ways this could end badly, you'd likely be right.

The Santa Claus Bank Robbery left me entertained and educated on a bit of history that I had not learned in school.

My thanks to the author for providing me with a review copy of her book. All opinions are my own.

6 Feet Under Texas is organized alphabetically by city, and each chapter focuses on a different gravesite. But more than just a book about the gravesites themselves, this book shares the stories of the people buried at each site. Many of these people have a story (previously) lost to history. Some stories are touching, some are amusing, and some are simply tragic – but with this book, all of them are remembered. (Even the not-so-nice guys.)

Additionally, each chapter includes a black-and-white photo of the respective tombstone/headstone/memorial and directions to the cemetery.

Some of my favorites (ok, given the topic, this is even weird to me to write) from the book include learning about the actual “Lost Cemetery of Infants” (Chapter 4), as I first learned of this cemetery in a recently read fiction book Home for Erring and Outcast Girls. If you’ve read my reviews here of Hays and McCall’s Bonnie and Clyde alternative history novels, you’d understand my fascination with “Why Aren’t Bonnie and Clyde Buried Together? (Chapter 15). I also learned that it’s not uncommon in older Texas cemeteries to find tombs for amputated limbs (Chapter 31). Weird, but understandable.

My ghoulish teen, on the other hand, was fascinated by the tombs of Texas’ own space alien (Chapter 6) and the tomb that is NOT a witch’s (Chapter 47). She also went right for the chapters on serial killers (Chapter 5 ), and we learned that Texas is the home of the only memorial for murder victims (Chapter 34), which is both sad (because we so often remember the names of the killers but not their victims) and inspiring in its thoughtfulness. We also were agog at the quirky Anthony Bascilli’s overly thorough planning of his casket and gravesite (Chapter 42).

6 Feet Under Texas is delightful (and I mean that in a non-creepy way). Tui Snider’s fascination with the topic shines in her wonderful storytelling of the people behind (or, technically, under) each gravestone. There are some really fascinating tales and insights into the past in these short chapter treatments.

We’re giving 6 Feet Under Texas 5 stars for all its quirky weirdness and history and research pulled together in one delightful (again, weird to write, but accurate) paperback book.

Tui Snider has long since been a favorite author of non-fiction of mine. Her research when it comes to her books is impeccable. I try to never miss an opportunity to read a book by Tui Snider, so when I was presented with the opportunity to read 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider, I jumped at the chance!

6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider is a book for those who love history as well as for those who have an appreciation for cemeteries and the people who are buried there. Snider goes all over (mostly) north Texas to talk about the history behind some of the graves famous, infamous, and the just plain interesting. As always, Tui Snider has done excellent research for her book, and it really does show the dedication behind it all. In fact, Tui Snider solved the mystery about the identity of the one legged rope walker who's buried in Corsicana. The photos included in the book aren't in color, but I enjoyed them just the same. It was nice to place the story to the photo. I also appreciated Tui Snider placing each city in alphabetical order for easy findings. She also includes the address to where each cemetery is located after each story in case you wanted to visit.

I will admit that with many books, I skip the intro. However, I know that Tui Snider never writes a dull and boring intro for her books. 6 Feet Under Texas' intro did not disappoint. Snider talks about how cemeteries are not morbid at all and how cemeteries are actually for the living. Seriously, read the intro. It is short and so very interesting!

I learned so much reading 6 Feet Under Texas. For example, did you know there was such thing as a backronym? I sure didn't until I read about Amber Hagerman, the little girl from which the AMBER Alert was invented. Tui Snider discusses about Amber's case and gives us an English lesson as well! There's also a touching story about a reverend who took in single mothers back in 1894, a time when society shunned those who weren't married. That story really warmed my heart. In Danville, a young woman by the name of Karen Silkwood is buried. She died under mysterious circumstances back in 1974. The mystery of Silkwood's death definitely left me intrigued. Her story was also very interesting. I learned that in the olden days, scraped graveyards were commonplace. Tui Snider explains that the grass from cemeteries was scraped because the lawn mower actually wasn't invented until 1830, and lawn grasses weren't a thing until the 1930s. Grass, back then, was home to all sorts of snakes and insects, and dry grass could catch on fire easily. So back then, people would get rid of all the grass growing around graves. It's pretty interesting to read about. I also read about Marlene Johnson in 6 Feet Under Texas. Marlene Johnson was the first female postmaster for Eastland, Texas. She made a huge mural out of millions of postage stamps. I loved reading about Mrs. Johnson, and I believe others will too. I was intrigued by Anthony Bascilli's grave. He went all out for his grave including having brick walls around his coffin, doors leading down to his coffin, and pipes sticking out of his coffin where keys to the door were to be dropped. Those pipes are still visible above ground if you take a trip out to the cemetery in Thurber, Texas.

It's not just humans that Tui Snider includes in her book 6 Feet Under Texas. Did you know that back in the day, it was a normal thing to have your limbs buried? For example, there are true stories of people burying amputated limbs and having grave markers made for them. What I really loved was how Tui Snider also mentions animal burials. She discusses the Alamo cats who are buried at the Alamo. (I had no idea that the Alamo had official cats!) She also writes about other animals that were special in some form, but I really loved reading about the Texas horned lizard that had been buried alive for thirty-one years and came back to life when he was exhumed.

I could go on and on about how amazing Tui Snider's newest book is, but you are better off just reading it for yourself. This was one of those books where I never wanted it to end. Luckily, Tui Snider is making a volume 2! I would definitely recommend 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider to everyone that would love to go on a real life adventure without leaving wherever they're reading Snider's book from. Seriously, pick up your copy of 6 Feet Under Texas so you can understand why I gushed so much on this book!
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(A special thank you to Lone Star Literary Life for providing me with a paperback copy of 6 Feet Under Texas by Tui Snider in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

The synopsis/blurb asked this question:

Think you know all about the Santa Claus Bank Robbery in Cisco, Texas?

Well, I live in Texas, and not too far from Cisco, but I’d never heard anything about this bank robbery, nor was I aware of the museums, songs and shows influenced by this insane story.

In the 1920’s, bank robberies were becoming so commonplace, lawmakers offered a five -thousand- dollar reward to anyone who took out a bandit in the process of robbing a bank. That was a huge amount of money back then, and unbelievably that law stayed on the books until 1964!!

But, when a group of four men, now known as the Santa Claus Gang- Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, Lewis Davis, and Robert Hill- decided to knock off the First National Bank in Cisco, they weren’t too worried about being shot, apparently. They had a getaway car, plus one of the bandits had a perfect disguise- a Santa Claus suit.

However, that suit, as it turns out, was more of a hindrance than a help. To say the robbery didn’t go as planned is an understatement of epic proportions. It was just unreal! Kids wanting to see Santa, teenagers with guns, and an all -out melee that resulted in several deaths, with several others wounded.

This is not the first book written about this crime, and the author appears puzzled by the various name changes and omissions from previous publications. Snider doesn’t hold back any information or tiptoe around the possible connections with those on the periphery, or those who may have aided and abetted the robbers. Why other writers may have avoided pointing out those connections is a curious mystery all on its own.

The story follows the case from its conception, all the way through to the aftermath, and reveals the effects on the survivors later in life. The aftermath is most interesting, proving truth is often stranger than fiction. The most interesting relationship to develop over time, was between robber Robert Hill and potential victim Woody Harris.

Wow! Unbelievable. Woody is my favorite person in this story, I think.

The book isn’t all that long and once I got started reading it, I couldn’t put it down. I even got my husband interested in it. The history, of course, is quite fascinating, made even more interesting since I am familiar with most of the areas mentioned in the book. Surprisingly, a few famous names pop up here and there- such as Conrad Hilton. You’ll have to read the book to see how he was connected to Cisco, Texas.

Unfortunately, there are moments of shame in the story too, and not where one might think it should be placed. Citizens behaved just as badly at times and that is a part of the story surely no one is very proud of.

While I’ve read many true crime sagas, this year, this one was one of the wildest stories I have encountered- and it might just be my favorite!

Anyone who likes history will have to read this book, and of course, true crime readers won’t want to miss it, either.

5 stars!!

I don't normally read a lot of non-fiction, but there was something about Tui Snider's true crime novel Santa Claus Bank Robbery that really drew me in. Maybe it was the fact that I love to imagine how things were back in the day or maybe it was the mystery of the blonde woman that I wanted to know. Whatever it was, I am thrilled that I had the chance to read Santa Claus Bank Robbery.

Tui Snider opens her novel with a chapter that talks about how she first heard of this crazy bank heist. She gives information behind the history of bank robberies in Texas. Snider then goes into details about the key players that were apart of the bank robbery in the next chapter. It isn't long before you're thrown into the action of what happened that fateful day in Cisco, Texas when at least four men - Marshall Ratliff, Henry Helms, Robert Hill, and Lewis Davis - decided to rob the First National Bank on December 23, 1927 with Ratliff dressed in a Santa Claus suit. It's a wonder more people didn't die considering back then anyone off the street could get a gun and shoot at criminals! Snider doesn't just end her book when the bank robbery ended. She also writes about what happened to the bank robbers after they were apprehended as well as what happened to some of the other people who were involved whether they were hostages, bystanders, or vigilantes.

It's very obvious that Tui Snider had done extensive research before writing Santa Claus Bank Robbery. Snider even includes a diagram that shows where everyone was standing when the bank robbery occurred! She includes names of many of the key players (witnesses, accessories, bystanders, etc) which can sometimes be a bit daunting to remember. I had to go back to previous chapters to find out who was who sometimes. The names of people get easier to remember further into the book though. I loved that photos from Newspapers around that time were also included in Santa Claus Bank Robbery.

It was nice to read Tui Snider's commentary on the events whilst reading through the chapters of Santa Claus Bank Robbery. I felt as if Snider was right beside me giving me her opinion on the events of the book. I do agree with her on who she thinks the mysterious blonde woman was. After reading Tui Snider's book, I'm definitely with Snider. I'm also left wondering, along with the author, why A.C. Greene left out major details and gave pseudonyms to some people in his book The Santa Claus Bank Robbery published in 1972 (not to be confused with Tui Snider's book Santa Claus Bank Robbery) but not to others. That's also a great mystery that I hope one day Snider can find out because it seemed like it was driving her crazy wondering Greene did that (ha!).

One more touch that I really appreciated from Tui Snider in her book Santa Claus Bank Robbery was the fact that at the end, she includes appendices for places of interest, staying in touch with her, and further reading. I really enjoyed the places of interest section which lists the address and websites of places mentioned in the book. After reading Santa Claus Bank Robbery, I'm hankering to check these places out!

Trigger warnings for Santa Claus Bank Robbery include murder, death, and violence. It is a true crime book after all!

Overall, Santa Claus Bank Robbery is a highly fascinating novel full of action and mystery that holds your attention from the very first page. So much research went into the writing of this book, and it really shows. After reading this novel, I have become fascinated with this case. I would definitely recommend Santa Claus Bank Robbery by Tui Snider to those aged 16+ who love true crime, mystery, or just a well written book in general. This is one of those books that you won't be able to put down even when you have to!
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(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback copy of Santa Claus Bank Robbery in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

(This review will be on my blog All the Ups and Downs soon.)
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Those who know me know that I love the paranormal, mainly ghosts. When a chance came up to read Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider came about, I couldn't say no. As a Texas girl myself and a fan of all places ghostly, this seemed like the perfect book for me. I wasn't wrong!

Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a fantastic guidebook for those looking to chase ghosts in the great state of Texas, more specifically, towns and cities near Dallas and Fort Worth. I don't live near Dallas or Fort Worth, but I've been on vacation in and around there, and I will be taking future vacations in and around that area. In fact, I've been to two of the haunted locations featured in this book! I never even knew they were supposedly haunted at the time.

Tui Snider does a fantastic job of keeping readers interested in Paranormal Texas. She gives information about each place as well as local lore and/or personal encounters with each place. Tui also has a few urban legends in her book which are great for approaching locals with as long as they're into that sort of thing. Sometimes she gives the history behind each place which was my favorite thing. Personally, I would have liked to read more history about each place, but I was still happy nonetheless. What I really enjoyed was each place Tui mentioned wasn't a wall of text. It was concise and to the point. She also included photos of each place. These aren't photos of evidence though. The photos are just of the actual place itself which was a tad bit disappointing. I would have liked to see some photos of alleged evidence. However, Tui does have a website where you can look at paranormal photos, EVPs (electronic voice phenomenon), and more. (I'll go into detail about her website a little later.) All the photos are in black and white in my copy of Paranormal Texas. Mine is an ARC, so maybe the actual copies will have some colored photos.

One thing I really enjoyed about Paranormal Texas is that Tui Snider lists the address of each place, so you don't have to bother searching for it yourself. If it's a harder place to get to, Tui gives you directions of how best to get there. I thought this was a fantastic touch because when you want to look for ghosts, the last thing you want to do is waste time trying to find an address.

Another thing I am grateful for is how the book has each city listed alphabetically at the beginning and then each haunted location is listed for that city. This makes it a lot easier to find what city you're interested in to do some ghost exploring!

However, Paranormal Texas isn't just about haunted places in Texas. Tui Snider also writes about the techinal terms that come with ghost hunting which is great for those that are new to ghost hunting as well as how to be a respectful thrill seeker which has great information for even seasoned ghost hunters. I would advise not skipping the beginning of the book that has all this great advice simply because it will help enrich your reading experience with Paranormal Texas or any paranormal non-fiction book. Heck, it will probably even enrich your experience with even paranormal and supernatural fiction books!

Be sure to check out Tui Snider's online evidence database for Paranormal Texas which she mentions in her book. Like Paranormal Texas, she has each city listed alphabetically for you to listen and see supposed paranormal happenings. This is such a fantastic accompaniment to the book. It really makes the book come alive. It's like you're there! Definitely check out her online database. It will give you the chills. It's still a work in progress as Tui encourages readers to send in their own paranormal evidence as well, but still, it is great nonetheless.

Paranormal Texas is such a great guide for old and new ghost hunters alike. There is such a plethora of information within the pages. Trust me, not only are you learning about new ghost locations, but you are also being schooled on so much more. It's like a bonus lesson in history and ghost hunting, but one that is a lot of fun. I'd recommend leaving the lights on for this book. I'd definitely recommend Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider to those aged 16 who love ghost stories, Texas, or those who just love to be spooked. You won't be disappointed!
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(A special thank you to Tui Snider for providing me with a paperback ARC of Paranormal Texas in exchange for an honest and unbiased review.)

Paranormal Texas by Tui Snider is a 2019 publication.

This is a fantastic non-fictional travel guide to the various true hauntings the author discovered in and around the Dallas-Ft. Worth area. The book provides fascinating background information about the haunted places discussed in the book and includes many of the author’s personal ghost hunting experiences.

I was familiar with some of the stories listed in the town of Mineral Wells and have driven through this area several times. But I did not know much of the town’s history or the information about the minerals in the water, which is how the town got its name.

In fact, all the information provided in the book will be of interest to anyone who enjoys history, even if you aren’t from Texas, or never plan on mapping out your own ghost hunting tour.

A couple of things I feel must be stressed before you start reading this book:

1) This book does not mention urban legends or old folklore tales, unless there has been some real evidence of a haunting. The author only includes locations that have some paranormal readings or first- hand accountings.

2) This second edition of the book includes photographs, the authors’ first- hand experiences, and real evidence of hauntings.

The travel guide to these spooky locations includes addresses and directions, as well as information about accessibility.

I loved reading these ghost stories and the interesting history behind them. My ghost hunting days are in the past, but this book would be very helpful for those planning a historical journey or a ghost hunting adventure through this area of Texas.

It would also be a great gift idea for the ghost hunter in your family and can spark some lively conversations.

Overall, this is a fascinating book. It’s fun, informative, and more than a little spooky! I got goosebumps more than once! This book will really put you in the mood for Halloween, too!

Paranormal Texas is perfect for its intention, which is as a travel guide to haunted places in Texas. The book is arranged by area and destination, and includes addresses and websites. For each destination, the author offers a bit of history and the type of paranormal experiences its known for. If you're interested in ghost hunting and live in or can travel to Texas, I highly recommend getting a copy of this book to help you plan your trip.

As a reading experience, this book doesn't offer quite as much content as I'd have liked. As I read, I kept thinking that photos of some of the more interesting places would have been a nice benefit. Also, the information on each destination is short. I'd have liked a little more detail, perhaps some anecdotes from the author's personal experience or more in-depth research on other people's experiences.

That being said, this book is a fun read and should entice a lot of ghost hunters to travel out to Texas.