My mother, an Italian immigrant, was in love with historic American architecture, and she shared her passion with all of us. We spent family vacations touring sites like Williamsburg and Sturbridge Village. Our library was full of books about everything from 17th century New England saltbox-style homes to 20th century New York City apartment buildings. But there was one book in particular that completely captivated me: her worn copy of Ghosts Along the Mississippi: The Magic of the Old Houses of