The Journals of Eleanor Druse: My Investigation of the Kingdom Hospital Incident    by Eleanor Druse Order:  USA  Can Hyperion, 2004 (2004) Hardcover     Reviewed by Mary Ann Smyth Eleanor Druse has spent the better part of her seventy-five years interested in the paranormal. Armed with her crystals, she plans to visit a childhood friend who is a patient at Kingdom Hospital after a suicide attempt. Soon it appears that this friend has succeeded in killing herself. Eleanor believes to the contrary. Eleanor has a mysterious seizure, which requires her to be tested at Boston General Hospital. Though her brain shows signs of seizure activity, she is sure she had a mystical experience, not a physical one. She returns to her home in Lewiston, Maine to attempt to contact a child whom she feels is wandering between this world and the next. Eleanor is certain that there is a connection between a stay that she and her friend had as children at Kingdom Hospital and today's events. The Journals of Eleanor Druse is an exciting, Stephen King-ish story, with all the attendant otherworldly happenings. Many fascinating medical tests and their accompanying terminology are cited, as are various types of pharmacology. Though, being profoundly medically challenged, I found it difficult to wade through this material, that did not diminish the rapidity with which I turned pages. I loved the character of Eleanor Druse – unafraid of what the future holds for her, at peace with her place in the world and not afraid to leave it, interested and interesting. I especially liked her relationship with an old lover. 'Only once, but for the ages.' At seventy-five, she and I would be contemporaries - I would like Eleanor as a friend. And though her son seems improbable as the offspring of such a woman, he is fun to read about. Eleanor's journals - a record of her experiences as a patient and of the unexplainable events at Kingdom Hospital - give her a lead to what happened to her as a child. The book's cover is printed in a day-glo color that shines in the dark! Though I'm not sure I can believe all that is written in The Journals of Eleanor Druse, I sure can enjoy the telling. Note: Opinions expressed in reviews and articles on this site are those of the author(s) and not necessarily those of BookLoons. Find more Contemporary books on our Shelves or in our book Reviews