The Telltale Lilac Bush and Other West Virginia Ghost Tales is a collection of 100 folklore and ghost stories compiled by Ruth Ann Musick

Ruth Ann Musick

Ruth Ann Musick was an American author and folklorist specializing in West Virginia. She was the sister of artist Archie Musick and niece of author John R...

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The tales surround ghost stories from around the Marion County

Marion County, West Virginia

| style="float:right;"|As of the census of 2000, there were 56,598 people, 23,652 households, and 15,515 families residing in the county. The population density was 183 people per square mile . There were 26,660 housing units at an average density of 86 per square mile...

 area in Northern West Virginia

West Virginia

West Virginia is a state in the Appalachian and Southeastern regions of the United States, bordered by Virginia to the southeast, Kentucky to the southwest, Ohio to the northwest, Pennsylvania to the northeast and Maryland to the east...

. A sequel volume, entitled Coffin Hollow, is also available and adds another 100 stories to the collection.

The book was originally published in 1965 as a hard bound book, while subsequent printings were paperback. The paperback version is still in print and widely available throughout Appalachia today.There are a variety of stories in it. ISBN 0-8131-0136-0