Vermont Books

I suppose I was spoiled by Citro's other books " The Shadow Child " which kept me up nights yet, couldn't put it down or the follow up book " Guardian Angels " . This book was originally published sometime ago under the Title " The Unseen " and now marketed under " Gore " .

Sorry Mr. Citro, this one doesn't cut it . I am still a fan of yours bringing myths and legends to us all ...so on to the next one .

As a Vermonter, I rate this book "wicked good". But you don't have to be from Vermont to enjoy it. It's incredibly hard to put down once started. Joseph Citro weaves a tale in which the natural, supernatural, modern, and ancient come together in an engrossing mystery. If you are a fan of folklore, ghost stories, or even American history you'll be swept up immediately in this tale. The resolution is both unexpected and satisfying, beautiful, and sad...the perfect ending to a tale of this genre.

This is one amazing book. It really gets you to think about every little thing around you. Is there someone out there just watching you? This is a great read for anyone. You won't be able to help to turn the next page. Great book. It was cool

Big Truck

This is a great original thriller/horror story. Citro again proves that he is at the top of the class in the horror field. This book (originally titled THE UNSEEN) does a great job describing this remote mountain region of Vermont.

Citro's story The Gore is a masterpiece in itself. He once again combines folklore with the natural settings of Vermont to challenge your idea of a reality. Is there somebody out there??? He will heighten your suspense to a new level that you will not be able to sleep without reading this book!

To add to Ellen's wonderful work, I grew up in a town of about 15,000 people. Feral cats were everywhere. They were as natural as the birds and the bees. Nobody worried about them, and very seldom did one get hit by a car. One night, I turned on my porch light and looked out on my front lawn and there were 34 cats of every color, sitting like gentlemen, just hoping my female cat would pick one of them to be her mate. And another time my Dad came home one night from having a few drinks with his buddies, and came in through the back door. He flipped on the light and to his shock were six cats sitting in the chairs at our kitchen table. He thought 'I must have drank one to many.' He turned off the light and then turned it on again. They were still there. They were having a meeting with our black cat Emmaline. He politely showed them the door.
Our house cats were both tame and wild, you might say. They truly ate mice and birds..They ate lizards all the time, but not the tails. Certain beetles and other bugs were delicious to them, especially water beetles. We had lots of feral cats in the bushes and woods around our town. I encountered many of them. Even though they were completely wild they were fat and beautiful. The hunting was good. Today I live in the big city of Bakersfield, California and some people complain about them and catch them and take them to the dogpound where they are put to death very quickly. People don't adopt them as readily as they do dogs. I want to scream as I was raised around them, in a town where they were not bothered, to just leave them alone. They may not have a home, but they are not homeless as the world is their home! They are natural survivalists. I have seen it first hand. They are amazing. They really hunt at night because they can see the rodents and the bugs moving at night. I pray for the return to sanity among the dogooders who think they know best for cats. Cats know what is best for them and they want to be allowed to be. Another story, my Mother would leave the bathroom window open enough so Emmaline could come and go. One day she was at a yardsale at the end of the street. She saw Emmaline there and when she started to leave, she picked Emmaline up to take her home. The woman who was having the yardsale said "Where are you taking my cat?" My Mom said "Your cat! This is Emmaline and I've had her since she was a baby!" Come to find out that lady thought she was her cat because she came down there to see her everyday. After they got over the shock of that, they decided to just share her. What else could they do? Cats are truly gifts to observe and enjoy. They are independent creatures and have as much a right to life as we do. I long for the Kingdom Jesus said he would bring to this earth someday, where sickness and death will not be, nor bad people that so readily put to death our human and animal friends, because they can't think of a better way. If the better way interferes with their profit margin it will not happen. I say that because our local jail sits on many acres, and the inmates have the resources to take in stray dogs and cats and would love the opportunity, and if you paid them it would only be about 28 cents an hour. [...]

This book is out of print and copyrighted 1987, but it's the only book I found with information regarding a feral cat colony. The author's experiences with the feral cats living around her Vermont home are a delightful insight into the person/cat relationship, and her interest, curiosity, and research regarding the realities of feral cat colonies is incredibly useful to me, as a lay person is just starting to trap, spay/neuter, and return strays and ferals in the Los Angeles area. A must-read!

I found this in a Bennington, VT bookstore after my wife Andi pointed it out and bought it right away based on a warm description of how loving a cat could be, even moments after killing and gutting a grouse. Berkeley does a wonderful job of showing that duality of cats, of how at once they're incredibly close to us they are as well as being close to natural hunting machines. Warmly written, funny and touching, she also fills out the book with very well-researched scientific info on feral cats, and cat populations. A must-read if you're a cat person and owner.

I found this in a Bennington, VT bookstore after my wife Andi pointed it out and bought it right away based on a warm description of how loving a cat could be, even moments after killing and gutting a grouse. Berkeley does a wonderful job of showing that duality of cats, of how at once they're incredibly close to us they are as well as being close to natural hunting machines. Warmly written, funny and touching, she also fills out the book with very well-researched scientific info on feral cats, and cat populations. A must-read if you're a cat person and owner.

I was hooked! I love cats, and all other felines for that matter, but fiction is more my range. This, however, is a great book! I LOVED IT!!! A must read! Yay! Heheh!

Excellently written account of the day to day lives of the volunteer soldiers of the 2nd Vermont Brigade and of particular interest to me in that my great great grandfather was Freeman Sunderland, a member of CO.K, 13th Reg. and mentioned in the book. Thank you Mr. Coffin!

This is a great book about men who enlisted for nine months late in 1862 to save the Union. The 2nd Vermont Birgade were men who want to to something but were unwilling to enlist for years. Accepting a bounty they gave nine months to the war, that nine moths ended in July 1863 at Gettysburg. At the end of their enlistment they stood fast on July 2nd & 3rd beating back the Longstreet's I Corps.
Making good use of letter, we follow this group of men through the reality of a Civil War enlistment. Eight months of picket lines, sickness, death and being away from home with no action. Quickly changes as we race north after the AoNV into two days of very hard battle. In reading the book, you see how little life in the army has changed and the impact Gettysburg had on the men for the balance of their lives.
Very well written, easy to read and follow. The book has a good level of information but will be best enjoyed if you know something about the time between The 7 Days and Gettysburg.

This is a book for Civil War buffs. The first half is interesting because it focuses on the raising and training of soldiers -- something not usually covered in other books of the genre. However, the author presents this material as a compendium of research tidbits rather than a story. The tale turns compelling and the writing more interesting when the Brigade meets its appointment with destiny at Gettysburg.

I read this book because I discovered that my great great grandfather fought with "A Co." 13th Reg. 2nd Brigade. A frenchman in the "Irish" company. Great detail on the volunteers who signed on for a quick nine month adventure and found eight months and two weeks of boredom and in the last weeks of their enlistment had a heroic march to get to Gettysburg and then to meet Picketts Charge, great story, even better knowing it is true.

Howard Coffin's book on the Second Vermont Brigade is a real treat, a book filled with interesting personal anecdotes on soldier life and the terror of the battlefield drawn from dairies, letters home, journals, and newspaper accounts. His lucid writing style, coupled with the fore-mentioned personal accounts, rivet the reader. This book is hard to put down once you begin reading it.

Coffin traces the regiment from its inception to its mustering out shortly after the Battle of Gettysburg, where three of the five regiments were instrumental in turning back Pickett's Charge, as well as the supporting attack by Lang's Floridians and Wilcox's Alabama brigade. Spiced by the first-person accounts, the book offers the reader an interesting perspective on the frustrations, fear, boredom, anger, and anxiety brought about by soldiering. Coofin judiciously mixes narrative on troop movements, battle flow, and organizational matters with anecdotes and vignettes that personalize the life of the Second Vermont Brigade.

All in all, Coffin's book is a must-read for anyone even remotely interested in Pickett's Charge and its repulse, as well as as for anyone interested in Nine-Minths Regiments and Vermont Civil war troops. This is among the best brigade histories that I have ever read! Well recommended!

In No Place But Here, Keizer expounds on life in rural Vermont from the viewpoint of a rural English teacher. His views on rural education covered thoughts on students, teachers, administration, politics, community, and parents. Through his writing, readers get the sense that he loves his community, his students, and his work. As a rural teacher, this is inspiring and interesting to me because so often rural schools are ignored while the public goes about discussing suburban schools vs. the inner city. I don't agree with everything Keizer had to say, but he had many good, thoughtful points, and I found myself underlining and making comments in the margins on several occasions, even though the book was a pleasure read.

In my M.Ed. program, Garrett Keizer was the best of the assigned reading. He does a wonderful job of discussing the day-to-day and larger theoretical issues of high school teaching, and his sense of humor makes the book compelling and readable. Though his agenda may be heavy handed at times, anyone who has thoughts on the state of public school education in the US should read this.

Holding a lantern before his readers, Keizer escorts them through a rural landscape that is filled with a raw beauty that is masterfully contained within his plaintive language. This important book should be read by all, whether lay or religious, academic or professional--it will challenge you to view (and value) the intrinsic worth of your own lives...as well as others'.

Mr. Keizer's writing drips with his educational agenda, yet--at the same time--oozes humility and concern for students. With plenty of stories and "sermons" revealing the heart and soul of the North Country of Vermont, anyone who has lived there will find the book entrancing; anyone who has not lived there will find themselves strangely drawn to explore its social and natural beauty.

Keizer's musings on the state of education transcend his quaint corner of America. All readers can learn something from this eloquent, thoughtful book.

This book tells you exactly where to go each season to get the best pictures of Vermont.

We recently returned from a week in Vermont. Unfortunately, the weather was variable, but we did manage
to visit a number of locations suggested by David Middleton in his "Photographers Guide to Vermont". The
book was well-written and very helpful. The images included were wonderful. David's pro tips and side
trip suggestions added another dimension to our trip. The book was very readable with some touches of
humor.. We look forward to our next trip to Vermont, where this book will be one of
the first things we pack. We are members of a competitive camera club, always on the lookout for great picture locations. It was almost like having our own guide. Thanks, David.
Barbara and David Pike

The book served as a useful companion on my trip to Vermont in October 2006.
It helped me do the groundwork which turned out be a great time saver .
It seems that the book needs editing as some of the landmarks appear to have changed.I would like more details to help locate Farms around Woodstock which is one of the prime reasons photographers travel to Vermont.
Another thing which adds to the difficulty is that you are mostly driving on back roads which are not be very clearly marked .

Say you decide to do photography in Vermont and you dont know where to start. Dont look furthur. This books will save you tons of time. I used this book to chart my 6 day trip. It worked out great and I am so happy that such a book exists. The book can help you to plan your entire trip. The only think I found was it dint have a lot of hidden road information. If the author can add that it would be great. I had to pick that up from the Vermon Fall Forums on the internet. I got the other book describing Maine and now I am planning to get the oregon one. I hope the author will have one out for Alaska and other states.

If you enjoy photography, especially in Vermont, then this is the book for you. I have enjoyed Mr. Middleton's photographs in Vermont Life and found the photos in this book to be even more fantastic. Vermont is a beautiful place and this book will tell you the best spots and the perfect times in which to photograph there. If you need further inspiration take a look at the authors Nature of Vermont, which is an exceptional book as well.

I rarely read novels - yet Conde's Shelburne, Vt could not be set down until I had learned its story and conclusion. Conde weaves the lives of three Vermonters in alternative time and space in such a manner that they are permitted to relive as they would have wished - rather than as they have. Although the setting is a small Vermont village, the characters are universal and the concepts Conde shares have contemplative meaning for us all. The plot is innovative yet believable. A good book to explore and reflect upon.

Although, I generally do not read science fiction books, this one held my interest from beginning to end. I just finished it and am anxious to pass it on to friends & family so that we may discuss it. Itwas fascinating to follow the author's manipulation of history, technology & religion. In some ways it was similar to the movie "Run Lola Run", which also deals with "what ifs". This book will not be easily forgotten, nor wouldthat be my desire.

With painstaking attention to details of American history, Richard Conde has created "Shelburne, VT", a novel that offers sci-fi excitement, a moral play, and well-developed characters. Using historical events with a focus on New England and upstate New York, the author shares his love of history, geography, and the philosophical questions of moral codes and man's freedom of choice. The format of the book incorporates chapters of historical background in which the time travelers are drawn, adding a sense of reality to their exploits. The final chapters present a moral dilemma to be solved by the travelers. Mankind's inherent goodness is upheld.

The author's description of the events that unfolded when people were given a watch that would allow them to travel backward in time showed that this author put forth a great deal of effort to research factual information. I found, to the best of my knowledge, that the information provided about past events were quite accurate and by relating a fictional story to factual events made the novel quite interesting.

Although I've never reviewed a book before, I guess there's always a first time. This book of science fiction was what all Star Trekkies would enjoy. It is fast moving, believeable and exciting. I found myself in the book experiencing it as the drama unfolds. Mr Condi, the author writes with clarity and holds you with all the excitement that a wonderful author can do. I'm sure athere will be many books to come and I for one will be reading all of the. I feel it should be on the New York Times best seller list. My final comment is to those who have never read it is, " read and enjoy, very few books are of this caliber.

My husband and I went to Vermont for the first time in October. With this map and the book " Covered Bridges of Vermont" we were able to easily find and photograph 30 of the 107 covered bridges in the state. I highly recommend this product.

This product is exactly what it's supposed to be: a comprehensive map to covered bridges in Vermont.

Just returned from a week in Vermont and this map/guide saved me a lot of time and effort in tracking down the covered bridges I wanted to see in Northern Vermont.

I found this map of Vermont covered bridges only moderately helpful. The map has a symbol for covered bridges on it and directions to each bridge are located on the back of the map by region, along with a very brief history. I found having to flip the map over for directions very user unfriendly while trying to navigate.

On medium-weight, stain-resistant paper, this beautiful and durable map folds out to approximately 2 feet by 3 feet. On one side is a three-color map of Vermont placing all 107 of the state's covered bridges, interesting facts about bridges and their designers, separate indices for bridges and places, and labelled watercolors of 23 of the bridges. The reverse side shows a county map, line drawings of various types of bridge trusses and a list of all the state's covered bridges by town. Each entry gives the date the bridge was built, information about its design and construction, and directions to the bridge.

This is a beautiful and informative map, and what a bargain!

Vermont, another place I'd love to visit and the Compass 2nd addition Guide to Vermont took me there and certainly wet my appetite for a visit even more.

Compass Guides leap ahead of others through powerful photography and personal descriptions that compel the senses. Vermont comes alive through sumptuous color and spicy descriptions. I believe the book even helped me come to an understanding of the culture of this northern New England state.

Leveraging the experience and passion of local authors and photographers must be the secret to the quality of this series. You just won't find many guide books this rich and satisfying.

This book is only good for overall knowledge of small towns in Vermont; every little town gets a small paragraph's worth of description. It is not very helpful if you are looking to visit and need more practical information such as where to stay, where to eat, and things to do. While it does list some lodging and restaurants, it is by no means comprehensive and you're left to do most of the leg work yourself. This book, in my opinion, was a waste of my money - I had to buy two more Vermont books to get the information I was looking for. Even the town descriptions are too short to be really helpful. This is more of an "Overview of the Splendor of Vermont" book.

I'd lived in Vermont for ten years before buying this book (for my mom's visit). It is an impressive presentation of the character of our state. True, it's short on the often ephemeral details you'll need for a trip (the restaurants, the hotels). But in a day when most of that's available on the web anyway. What you get instead is a thoughtful description of how the reigonal differences emerged--a level of detail mostly ignored by the standard descriptions.

Well-written and full of wonderful photos. Also full of quirky little facts and insider info. If you are looking for a good book to educate you on the best state in the union (I hope to move there in the next couple of years), then this it. You won't be disappointed. It blew away every other guide I looked at (and there are quite a few out there). As far as I'm concerned, Compass American Guides sets a new standard.

Clara Mayfield of the title was some twenty years ago the Jamaican housekeeper to the Kaplan family: self absorbed Mr and Mrs Kaplan, the headstrong elder son teenage Danny, and Will, a fit and healthy swimmer who idolised his older brother. Clara is a forthright woman with a strong personality and an open mind, and she quickly brings Danny into line, and soon establishes a close loving and trusting relationship with both boys, but tragedy strikes when Danny is killed in a skiing accident at the age of eighteen.
Five years ago Will enjoyed a relationship lasting for one year with Peter Arcenaux, but his lover walked out on him when he could no longer take the worry of Will's propensity for late night swimming in stormy seas.
However the story starts in the present, with Will a now successful dealer in antique maps. Having since lost contact with Peter, Will befriends his mother Marie Arcenaux in the hopes of regaining his lover. As the story opens Will is in Europe awaiting the arrival of Marie on a flight from the States, but while he is waiting he learns that the plane went down off Long Island. On his return there is considerable uncertainty as to whether Marie was on the flight on not. Peter's sister Grace, who's suffering with cancer, is also trying to locate her mother Marie.
The story unfolds, told in the third person from Clara's and from Grace's perspective, and in the first person by both Will and by Marie, as much in reflection on the past as in the present. We learn much of the different families' backgrounds and troubled relationships, and how they cope with their present problems: Grace's recurrence of cancer and Marie's continued disappearance, and of course Will and Peter and their longing to get back together but each uncertain how the other feels. Clara remains a steadfast support throughout.
This is a very warm and involving story; the lively infusion from Clara's aspect provides much needed relief from the sometimes oppressive worries of the others. Olshan captures beautifully her Jamaican dialogue, and her freeness of expression lends a touch of humour.
As the story reaches its end we are left to draw our own conclusions on the outcome of some problems, but we are also faced with a sudden and shocking realisation, while yet another problem is resolved most satisfyingly.
(It is a pity that the writing was spoilt by the repeated incorrect use of the second person personal pronoun)

What can I say, but another fresh endearing look into the life of Will Kaplan and why he is such a unforgettable character. When I first heard there was another book featuring the same characters from 'Nightswimmer' and 'Clara's Heart. I went out to 3 different bookstore to find it. I was not disappointed by this haunting, and honest novel told from quite a few perspectives of current and remembered events. There are many things I could say this book is about: hope, longing, family, trust, faith, fate. But of all those things, to me, it's mainly about surviving the past. The ways that different people choose to perceive/cope with the past,and the understanding that can come from it, if we really get honest with ourselves. How there is more to just surviving the past, but having to to decide 'what do I do now?'. Although I was a bit confussed about when this story actually takes place. Was this before or after he had met and lost Chad? Also he went from being a map collector in this book, to a writer , but I don't remember Will collecting maps, as well as writing in 'Nightswimmer'. But otherwise there are no complaints, he kept me guessing almost till the end. If you have never read one of Mr.Olshan's books, take the chance to read one of his other well written novels. (Nightswimmer and 'A Warmer Season' are my favorites) He is one of the few authors I have read that, rather than wrapping the ending all up in a pretty bow, he leaves the resolution in your hands, much like life really is.

Bringing back characters from his previous novels "Clara's Heart" and "Nightswimmer", Olshan's new novel centers on a group of people struggling to extricate themselves from the past. Will is stunned when the plane his friend Marie was supposed to be on crashes into the ocean, but when her name isn't listed as among the passengers, the fact of her boarding the plane comes into question. He reaches out to Clara, who helped him get through his brother's death years before. Will is eventually contacted by Marie's children, Peter (Will's ex-boyfriend) and Grace (who's dying of cancer), and the four adults soon come together to await news of Marie's whereabouts. Peter and Will still love each other after all these years, and they slowly reconfigure their new relationship. Each character is mired in the past, and there are numerous flashbacks exploring this, which all grow distracting and tedious as the novel progresses. The reader cannot help but care about these rambling people though, and is treated to a good story to find out how it all ends.

Reading In Clara's Hands was so much like attending my 20th high school reunion. Even though all the news and all the stories weren't wonderful, I was back among the safety of close and trusted friends.

In Clara's Hands is a journey that takes place in the past and the present. The first two words on the first page: Clara Mayfield. Read just a little farther and Blanche is mentioned. Then Will and David and Mrs. Hart. Add Marie, Grace and Peter to the mix and the resulting story is complex and compelling.

Will needs Clara to help him conquer demons of the past and present, while at the same time, Clara has her own demoms to overcome. Mystery and suspense surround the disappearance of Marie, while Grace anxiously awaits word about her mother. Time, being of the essense, adds to the heightened sense of urgency. Grace is dying now. Danny died quite a while ago and everyone needs to come to terms with the past and the present.

Clara, with all her wisdom, tries to give Will strength, yet Clara is also suffering to come to terms with Danny's death. Will seems to be surrounded by death...his brother, his ex's mother and his ex's sister. It all seems a little to much to take.

This is another strong story that uses characters of the past and familiar current events to instantly draw you in. This is another great novel that I highly recommend.

This book really makes a lot of sense. I enjoyed it and learned a lot about Governor Kunin. Being from Vermont, I can relate to everything that she has done for this state, and she in turn became (in my opinion) one of our greatest governors. I highly recomend this book!

i found the book interesting with the female outlook on politics but it was quite boring in some ways. She seemed to dweel on some topics much more than needed.(for example:she had 200 pages worth of ideas but somehow expanded it to 400 pages with repetitiion)
in some palces this book is very iinteresting but in other places it is excrutiatingly boring

I had to read this book for a college course in "Woman in Politics." I am so glad I did. I still list it as one of my all time favorite books and Ms. Kunin as a role model.

I found Ms. Kunin's road to a political life a very interesting and inspiring one. Though it's been 3 years since I've read "Living a Political Life," I am reminded of Ms. Kunin's journey to be true to herself as I travel my own journey as a wife, mother of three boys, secretary for our own business, a full-time outside career in politics and local voluteerism. I believe she tried to portray a women who could do it all and have it all if you believe in something and have a passion for it.

Any women, young or old, working, stay-at-home mom, student, etc. would benefit from reading this book. This book also makes a great gift.

Kunin was a state legislator for many years, lt. governor and governor of Vermont. I enjoyed her book very much. It is perhaps the best memoir of a career in state government I have read.

Kunin's book is mostly about her ascent to the top of Vermont politics, not what she did once she got there. More of the book is devoted to her career as a legislator and ver various campaigns than her tenure as Governor. She tells her story very much as that of a woman in politics, not just a political player. All this, I think, gives the book a more universal appeal than a Vermont-centered book would.

Kunin is an excellent storyteller, but what makes the book truly special is its degree of frankness. Contemporary politicians generally don't write good books. Too often their books are pieces of revisionist history, extended press releases, or platforms. Kunin's book is nothing like that. She names names, she explores her doubts, she even commits the ultimate political taboo of expressing frustration with constituents. Beyond all that this is a flat out interesting, well-written book.

Kunin is an interesting character. She does a good job of conveying her sense of wonder at the improbability of it all. Kunin was not only the first woman governor of Vermont, she is also a Jewish immigrant who fled Nazi occupied Europe as a child and whose father committed suicide. Interestingly, she doesn't much discuss her parents and their generation, and her story of fleeing Europe until near the end of the book, when she mounts the podium for the first time as Governor. This is an excellent device. Kunin plunges right into her political journey rather than the traditional, "When I was a child" By the time she tells us about her parents, we have reason to be interested in them. And their story is so unusual that it could make for an interesting book in itself. All that adds up to convey the point that her arrival was not at all anticipated by her past. This is a great way to end a book about politics.

State politicians seldom produce books. This is a welcome exception. The book seems to have staying power and should be read by anyone interested either in state politics, or women in politics. I enjoyed it immensely.