Family Ghosts

15: A Settling in the Bones

Kirya's childhood home was haunted by two elusive ghosts - the fleeting presences of her grandfathers, neither of whom she knew much about. When she discovers an old audio cassette recording of herself making up songs and stories about the world she thought she understood, she decides it's time to seek out some real answers.
"Here's to missed beginnings, and things that never start - for these are the ghosts that run around in my heart. When I see that where I'm going isn't where I want to be, I get the urge to call you up, and see if you would come and meet me." - Slaid Cleaves

Every house is haunted. In each episode of Family Ghosts, we investigate the true story behind a mysterious figure whose legend has followed a family for generations. Grandmothers who were secretly jewel smugglers, uncles who led double lives, siblings who vanished without a trace, and other ghostly characters who cast shadows over our lives in ways that might not be immediately obvious. We are all formed in part by our familial collections of secrets, intrigues, and myths. By engaging with each others’ legends, perhaps we can see each others’ realities more clearly. Hosted by Moth Grand Slam winner Sam Dingman, whose stories have been featured on Risk!, TBTL, Benjamen Walker’s Theory of Everything, and The Moth Radio Hour.