Louisiana's Sacred Places: Churches, Cemeteries and Voodoo

Louisiana enjoys a singular mystery drawn from its mélange of cultures and customs and no one delivers this eccentric collage like author and photographer Deborah Burst. Only in Louisiana will you find hauntingly beautiful cities of the dead, the serenity of historic churches along a winding river road, and the mesmerizing calling of spirits in a Voodoo ceremony. Louisiana's Sacred Places takes you on a personal tour of Louisiana s most solemn and revered locales. From New Orleans most telling portraits of eternal architecture to St. Roch Chapel s chamber of miracles filled with relics of pain and suffering. Burst s vivid photography and discerning eye bring the spirits and celestial wonder to life in every frame. Moving north along the cypress bayous learn the mysteries of the Creole tradition in lighting the graves on All Saints Day. Follow the trail west along the muddy Mississippi where country chapels whisper tales of survival against the river s mighty floods. In the Feliciana Parishes nineteenth-century churches and mansions are rife with tales of Civil War casualties laid to rest under scenic weeping oaks. And in New Orleans take an insiders view of Voodoo ceremonies, the city s jazz funerals, and post-mortem parties fit for a king. Proving once again that this soulful city and state celebrate death with the same joyous zeal as they celebrate life. Deborah Burst continues her series of discovery on a trail of history and mystery across south Louisiana. In her ten-year writing and photography career, Burst has combined her love for art, history and architecture into a poetic trail of Louisiana s Sacred Places. The book features 57 stellar photos inside 152 pages in a convenient 6x9 format that fits perfectly on a coffee table or inside the car s glove compartment.