Book cover of The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Book description

The basis for Joseph L. Mankiewicz’s cinematic romance starring Gene Tierney and Rex Harrison.
 
Burdened by debt after her husband's death, Lucy Muir insists on moving into the very cheap Gull Cottage in the quaint seaside village of Whitecliff, despite multiple warnings that the house is haunted. Upon discovering the…

When you buy books, we may earn a commission that helps keep our lights on (or join the rebellion as a member).

Why read it?

3 authors picked The Ghost and Mrs. Muir as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

I found this one in a charity shop and read it in a day. It was a while after that I saw the tv series, and a while after that the movie. And it’s another one I still have in my bookshelves.

It’s another story about finding your place in the world, but at the same time, it’s about a timid widow, mother of two, finding herself through the mentorship of the ghost of a well travelled sailor. One who’s there waiting for her at the end of her life, not her bloody husband! 

From Alexandria's list on ghosty best friends.

They made this story into a movie which is still one of my favourites, but the book is even better. Lucy Muir is a widow with two young children and not much money, who rents a house by the sea that is remarkably cheap, mostly because it comes with the ghost of a bad-tempered sea captain, who has driven out all the previous occupants. Mrs. Muir, however, is made of stern stuff and her relationship with the captain makes for one of the oddest, but still utterly captivating, love stories

How can you not love this sweet love story about a lonely widow who finds her new home haunted by the ghost of a crotchety but handsome sea captain? What begins as simple companionship between two lonely souls blossoms into feelings neither of these star-crossed lovers may act upon. But the widow Muir is irrevocably changed by their haunted romance. First published in 1945, this book was stunningly original for its time, and is probably responsible for implanting the idea in my head that ghosts are still perfectly capable of falling in love.

If you love The Ghost and Mrs. Muir...

Book cover of The Rosewood Penny

The Rosewood Penny by J.S. Fields,

2023 Queer Indie Award Nominee!

The dragons of Yuro have been hunted to extinction.

On a small, isolated island, in a reclusive forest, lives bandit leader Marani and her brother Jacks. With their outlaw band they rob from the rich to feed themselves, raiding carriages and dodging the occasional vindictive…

Want books like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir?

Our community of 12,000+ authors has personally recommended 100 books like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir.

Browse books like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir

Book cover of Rebecca
Book cover of Undead and Unwed
Book cover of Odd Thomas

Share your top 3 reads of 2025!

And get a beautiful page showing off your 3 favorite reads.

1,343

readers submitted
so far, will you?

📚 If you like The Ghost and Mrs. Muir, you might also like...

Book cover of Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman

Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman by Alexis Krasilovsky,

Kate from Jules et Jim meets I Love Dick.

A young woman filmmaker’s journey of self-discovery, set against a backdrop of the sexual liberation movement of the 1970s and 1980s. In Portrait of an Artist as a Young Woman, we follow Ana Fried as she faces the ultimate…

Book cover of Malcolm Before X

Malcolm Before X by Patrick Parr,

Malcolm Before X is about finding a way to continue moving forward after everything has been taken from you. While in prison, Malcolm Little discovered the power of reading and found a way to transform his character and become a better man. This half-biography focuses on that transformation, especially his…

5 book lists we think you will like!