Maine Books

This is one of the best books on eating disorders/body issues I have ever read. It is one of the few books that really "understands" what it's like for women to struggle with body/eating issues.

What makes this book especially unique is that it is geared towards adults. Most books on this topic focus on teenagers and at the oldest, college students. This book addresses the unique experiences and perspectives of adult women and their struggles. The book is more then just information - it offers a great deal of food for thought and thinking/writing activities to help women overcome their issues.

The book not only expresses a true understanding about eating disorders, but it offers the reader much opportunity for insight, change and hope through the words and exercises.

This book is at the top of my recommendation book for anyone dealing with eating/body issues and those that want to understand why women struggle.

If you or a loved one have an eating disorder or weight issue, this is the book for you. If you don't, but you suffer from Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD) or another form of crushing insecurity about your appearance which is unrelated to weight, you may wish to look at some of the other titles on the subject. While Ms. Maine does a nice job of describing the root causes (media, culture, etc.) of women loathing their own bodies, and makes an excellent case for a pro-women revolt of some sort, the classic title on that subject, "the Beauty Myth," by Naomi Wolf, goes into much greater depth on the subject. Either one, however, would be a great book to share with any unsympathetic men in your life, but the Beauty Myth is much more comprehensive.

As far as the practical suggestions in the Body Myth, again, if you have eating or weight issues, I think this book may help you. But if your concerns are on specific body parts, aging, or anything unrelated to weight and eating, keep shopping.

"The Body Myth" written by clinical psychologist Margo Maine and Joe Kelly is a ground-breaking must-read for today's woman struggling to comply with the perfectionistic one-size-fits-all body image currently in vogue. Challenging that image as unrealistic and damaging, the authors provide information and inspiration along with exercises at the end of each chapter which serve as powerful tools to help free women from the dangerous addiction to striving for thinness. Jane Pailas-Kimball, Ph.D., psychotherapist

This book very clearly and concisely explains why women in society are increasingly pressurised by the media to conform to a very narrow definition of feminine beauty. It is well-written and has excellent advice on how to counter the messages a woman is not considered a woman unless she is white, heterosexual and middle-class. The book does not blame women for feeling insecure but holds the media and society responsible. The authors argue that women are in fact diverse and they all come in different shapes, sizes and ethnicities. It is positive and includes some cases studies. This book is different in that it focuses on adult and mature women. Highly recommended and well worth the purchase price.

Thank you for writing this book! I have struggled with compulsive eating (although I would not call it that, this book does) for most of my life.

In the 1980s, feminist Robin Morgan called the power and provenance derived from men, and based on the ability to attract men/smaller body size, "abstract power" -- as opposed to "real power", the power derived from a woman's being physically strong and able to provide for herself.

While there are flaws to that theory, I see it in practice. Every single day, even at my job. And I work in the medical public relations field. A field where those guys could and should know better!

Yes, big news!?! This sexist, size-ist garbage does not diminish with advancing age. I spent, off and on, only a tiny fraction of my life at a normative size (including now, this time for the longest stretch ever). By virtue of large bone structure, I am a size 12 (spent part of my young adulthood in a size 44 dress). I practice moderate calorie restriction and exercise vigorously about five times a week to maintain this size. I haven't yet internalized anything long enough to be able to comport myself wisely and supremely unselfconciously at a buffet in Atlantic City, for instance.

Thank you, Dr. Maine and Mr. Kelly. You have the spirit of Everest-scaling mountaineers as I have never before seen in such authors on this topic!! As a result of reading your book, I feel that I have only twenty minutes' worth of Knowledge. And not the kind of "knowledge" you get from a Weight Watchers meeting (or any other bunch of self-righteous diet dweebs who think they alone have the right answer).

I am 51 years old. I am looking forward to your sequel and to seeing this book become a best-seller especially among us baby boomers.

I believe Calico Bush is a good book because the brave people seem real. The main character, Marguerite, is an orphaned, French girl serving the Sargent Family for six years during the 1700's. The first pages are a bit boring, but the middle is excellent and the ending is perfect.

It was an O.K. book.I didn't like it because it didn't seem to go anywhere.It was a pointless book and ended really dumb.The plot was O.K. and I enjoyed the detail of the though.

This is a book of exceeding quality. The only reason I give it 4 stars instead of 5 is because it's sad in parts (which I hate in books) and I hate how cruel the Sargent's are to Maggie because he is French. Plus, its not my favorite genre.

Still, it's a great book with all the qualities a good book needs ( and some bad). One of the first problems to come up is that Marguerite's (or Maggie, as the kids call her) position in life is bad! She is indentured (she put herself into slavery) to a family, the Sargents. This is made worse by the fact that the Sargent's are very strict and anti-French and Maggie is French.

The Sargent's youngest baby wanders into the fireplace and is killed.

There is some lovey type stuff in that Ira, a well educated man, falls in love with Abby Welles, a somewhat rich girl, and pursues her throughout the book.

I am a Sci-fi and fantasy fan but this book still really caught my interest. Overall this is a very good book and I highly recommend it.

The author, Rachel Field, excells at making her book come to life. The people in the story show quality traits of courage and kindness. The first part is a little boring, but the rest is superb. I love history and this is one of my favorite books that takes place during the French and Indian War.

Rachel Field's Calico Bush tells of Marguerite Ledoux , a young French immigrant who has been bound out to the Sargent family following the death of her Uncle and Grandmother. Marguerite, now Maggie, must face the trials of pioneer life as the Sargents move to farm a lonely stretch of land, continually threatened by Indians and the deprivations and dangers of their new circumstances. Maggie experiences the prejudices of her new home land, and fears the thought of losing her own identity. The four seasons come and go as Maggie experiences all the triumphs and struggles of life on the sparsely inhabited frontier of costal Maine. Calico Bush is another classic to be treasured from the author of Hitty: Her First Hundred Years. Rachel Field's love of the Maine coast shines through her descriptions of it harsh beauty.

Snyder's excellent writing draws you into this story of loss and redemption. A gentle story of a modern day man who comes full circle from his Maine childhood to his success in the world and back again to his childhood home. Having spent much of his life running from his humble beginnings, he ultimately learns that the ways of the world must yield to the ways of the heart for true happiness and peace to come. He shows us that each of us is in our own way a fallen angel in need of redemption.

I have read Fallen Angel and it was a truly inspiring story. You told a story one could believe in. I found Katherine and Olivia beautiful and down to earth and Terry a true Mainer.
Now I'm looking forward to watching the movie as it is programmed for this coming Sunday; hopefully they won't change a line!
Elizabeth Olsen, author of Blood Flow

I bought this audio book, popped it into the player and started listening....I swear this guy sounds like he is speed reading through this book. Very hard to follow and not at all enjoyable.

"Fallen Angel" a novel by Don J Snyder shows us how often life completes a full circle. Snyder has penned a tale of LOVE, both for family and for that one special person we all dream of meeting. "Fallen Angel" is in a class with the love stories of Nicholas Sparks, surpassing many best sellers with his supurb talent. Set aside an afternoon and get acquainted with the wonderful characters in FALLEN ANGEL. A truly great read.
Beverly J Scott author of Righteous Revenge

Terry McQuinn is a big deal. In fact, he is such a big deal in Hollywood that he can afford to always fly first class and share in all of life's finest. Terry McQuinn has also not heard his father's voice in ten years. Split up because of what Terry describes as "money and pride", Terry last saw his dad at his mother's funeral, ten years ago, and even then they stayed apart. Terry's dad had always been the caretaker for the summer cottages in Maine, beautiful cottages where wealthy residents could afford gardeners, housemaids, butlers and caretakers. Terry grew to look at his father as not much more than a servant, and Terry also felt his father deprived his mother of a life of her own in many ways. But the breach is broken by the raspy sound of his father's voice on the telephone one day. His father says only "I've got my doctor here... he wants to talk to you." The doctor informs Terry his father is dying. Terry flies home, but then tears up the last leg of his ticket to drive the rest of the way, coming to the realization that he doesn't really want to get there that quickly. By the time Terry reaches Maine, his father has passed on. But there are cottages to maintain, and his father's only workshop, and one very special cottage that holds Christmas memories tucked away in a little boy's mind that cannot be ignored. Terry decides he must open this one cottage for Christmas since it was a job his father had promised to do. The rest is magic, pure and simple, and if you believe in true love, and you believe that ice can melt, you will love this story.

Named after the mighty Babe Ruth, Ruth DiMarco has some big shoes to fill. But she's already well on her way to achieving her dream of becoming a major-league baseball player. Eleven-year-old Ruth is the star shortstop in her small Maine hometown, and now a reporter is coming to interview her for Sports Illustrated. Ruth seems to be at the top of her game. Then one day she overhears her father in the crowd: "Real major-league talent. But I can't help thinking what a shame it is that it was all wasted on a girl."
Could her father be right?

This is an excellent novel that mixes deep and sometimes painful emotion with an engaging, realistic story. 11-year old Sofia Ruth DiMarco, named after the Babe by her baseball-loving family, is a young baseball phenomom. Even Sports Illustrated sends out a writer for a major feature about her. But what her the emotionally suppressed father, and Ruthie herself discover is the pain, longing, and isolation hidden behind her dazzling on-field brilliance.

Ruth is the only girl on her team and in her family, her pioneering firefighter mother having been killed several years before. Her future in baseball is doubtful because of her gender, and her family doesn't recognize her claims to grief and her desires to remember her mother. With the help of the sportswriter, her feminist friend Ellie, and, especially, her own courage in confronting her family, she discovers her true, multifaceted identity. The pride and confidence she feels on the field are, at the story's conclusion, extended to her feelings about herself. I recommend this to older kids because of the mature themes: Baseball is really just a subtext for this psychological portrayal of a young woman. Yet, it's both serious and fun at the same time. This winner of the Marguerite De Angeli Prize (for a first novel aimed at middle-grade readers) is a well-written story of some of the pains and joys of growing up. Recommended.

With the start of the WNBA and the consistent popularity of women's tennis and golf, it has become more realistic for women to imagine themselves as professional atheletes. But, what if ground hasn't been broken yet in your sport?

Named for the Babe (a famous baseball player, not that I need to tell you that), Ruth DiMarco is probably the best short stop East Shore, Maine has ever seen. Her batting is impeccable, her field skills unsurpassed. She eats, drinks, and sleeps baseball, but during a game she unfortunately hears her father say something about it being a shame such talent was wasted on a girl.

So, begins the inspiring new novel by Maria Testa, SOME KIND OF PRIDE. Hurt by her father's remarks, Ruth begins to doubt her future in baseball and her love for the game. But, Ruth has more advocates than she realizes including her biggest fan and best friend Ellie, a self-declared feminist, a Sports Illustrated writer named Ross sent to write about her amazing stats, and even her mother who died in a rescue attempt as the only female fire fighter in the area. Ruth gains strength from these forces and learns that her passion for baseball beats all odds and hushes all naysayers.

SOME KIND OF PRIDE is for any kid bucking the system and puts a positive twist on the remark, "you throw like a girl!"

(...)

This book breaks new ground in sports fiction for kids by offering both a compelling coming-of-age story and a real appreciation for one child's love of baseball. And to top it all off, it's about a girl! The author's expertise in her craft and in her sport shines through. This is a sometimes emotional, always enjoyable, and ultimately satisfying read.

Maria Testa's SOME KIND OF PRIDE is one of those rare books that will make you laugh and cry and teach you something while you're at it. Male or female, child or adult, this is the type of novel everyone should read. The characters are real, the story is fun and the message is never overstated. I highly recommend this novel for teen and pre-teen girls and reluctant readers.

I absolutely LOVED this book. I don't know exactly what it was, but I thought of the characters for days! I almost wish someone would make a feature film about it, but there is ALWAYS a chance that the book wouldn't match the film. Sigh. Anyway...I STRONGLY recommend this book!

I liked this book because it's about Maine and it's well put together, like one of the Indian baskets the main character learns to create. It pulls you along and concludes satisfyingly. But maybe a little too satisfyingly: At around 19, Blue has her whole life figured out, which I find hard to buy. Also hard to believe is how noble the Indian characters are. Some flaws would have been nice. My other quibble (I know this is truly picky) is the constant use of "alright" instead of "all right." I look forward to reading other books by Thayer but hope she's edited a little better next time.

This book was fabulous. I couldn't put it down. It's a book about Blue, who is a twin. Her other twin, Berry, died a few days after the birth because she had no brain. Blue seems haunted by the mystery behind Berry as her family never talks about her. This book tells of a girl growing up and finding where she belongs in all this chaos in her life. Blue has an accident when she is a child.....that leaves her missing one eye and other scars and a disability. Her father was responsible for the accident. Her relationship with her mother is strained, because of catching her mother having sex with a friend. The father hides behind his camera.....literally, not able to relate much to any one without using his camera to catch every moment he thinks is worth saving. The only stability that Blue finds is in her Grandfather, a Passamoquoddy indian. He teaches her about life, nature, and passion. He loves her unconditionally. He is her safe harbor, where she can go to ask all the mysteries of life. This book was a narrative of how Blue felt about her life and going through it. You feel like you are right there with Blue during the whole book. Again, this is a beautiful book. You will love it.

Great for the young adult reader who is learning about who they are in relation to the stereotypes that surround them in today's world. Writing style is easy to read, a good rainy day book. Also very nice description of Maine, somewhat idealic, but nice nonetheless.

For the first time in my life, I actually cried over a book. Cynthia Thayer created a character so real and so heartwarming, I couldn't help but feel her pain.

Lucy Stone's neighborhood has changed. Instead of her nice quiet street, now there's a new subdivision nearby with a loud motorcycle riding teenager.

Lucy and her friends, Sue, Pam, and Rachel begin working on the Hat and Mitten fund. They decide a bake sale, like they used to hold, would be a great fundraiser. Lucy volunteers to call everyone to get donations of baked goods. Unfortunately she finds that she hasn't kept up with everyone and they're all busy doing something else and unable to bake anything.

So they decide to include the new neighbors in the subdivision to help with the bake sale. New neighbor Chris Cashman decides to take over. Lucy's fine with letting her take over, but it puts a real strain on her friendship with Sue as she'd always been the leader before. Chris decides they should make low-carb snacks, sell bottled water, and even make some dog treats. They're going to have a taste test to decide which recipes are the best for the sale.

The date of the taste test Mimi Stanton doesn't show up. Lucy is dispatched to check on her and find out if she needs any help. Unfortunately Lucy finds Mimi in her kitchen with a large knife in her chest.

Who could have killed her and why? Lucy sets out to figure out who did it since she doesn't think the person the police arrested is the killer.

I love this series. Lucy is such a fun character. She's very involved with her kids, friends, and community. Her involvement gives her credibility in investigating, plus it sets up the secondary story line. I really enjoyed this book. I highly recommend it.

I'm a huge Lucy Stone fan, however, the last couple of books in this series, IMO, haven't been as good as some of the others...until now.

Lucy Stone is back, and this book is a great addition to the series. It's well-written...there's a lot of red-herrings, some nicely placed clues, and the killer is introduced early in the book. As a mystery lover, you can't ask for much more.

This time out, Lucy has new neighbors, and one who is quite the little troublemaker. Early on, she is found dead, and Lucy investigates the murder, and eventually discovers who the murderer is.

BAKE SALE MURDER is a great addition to this series. I loved the addition of the new characters, and I hope they will appear in the next Lucy Stone Mystery. I also loved the recipes that are included at the back of the book.

Honestly, I'd have given this book 10 stars if it were an option.

Welcome Back Lucy Stone.

After a long line of less than stellar books, the Bake Sale Murder has taken us back to earlier, superior Lucy Stone mysteries.

Lucy Stone isn't happy. Instead of living on a nice quiet road that she's used to, a little subdivision has sprung up next to her, including one obnoxious motorcyle riding teenager who spends as much time reving up his machine as he does riding it.

Lucy and her friends, Sue, Pam and Rachel start working on the Hat and Mitten fund. A bake sale seemed like a good idea to raise funds, until she starts calling her friends for baked donations and realizes she hasn't kept up with them for awhile as everyone is involved in activities which make it impossible for them to bake anything.

So they decide this would be a good time to get to know the new people in the subdivision and get some baked goods for the sale at the same time. Bonnie Burhart, wife of the new guidance counselor at school. Willie Westwood, wife of the new vet. Frankie LaChance a divorced mother and Chris Cashman mother of Pear and Apple. Unable to attend the first meeting, Mimi Stanton, wife of the subdivision developer and mother of motorcyle riding Preston.

What starts out as the selling of a few baked goods at the school turns into a major sale when Chris Cashman takes over. No longer a couple of brownies and cakes, they're going to produce low-carb snacks, have bottled beverages and even make home made dog treats. Chris even decides that they should all make several of their best treats and then they would all get together and have a taste test to vote for the best and then only produce them in large quantities for the sale.

Lucy is always happy to let an "A" type personality take over, but since it's usually been her friend Sue, things are a little strained as Sue has met her match in Chris.

Things don't seem as upbeat when on the day of the taste test, Mimi doesn't show up. Lucy gets sent over to find out if she needs any help. Mimi needs help, but not the kind Lucy can offer as she's in her kitchen with a large knife in her chest.

Who would have killed the developer's wife? Was it a disgruntled new home owner? Rumors were the houses weren't built that good. A jealous wife? Rumors were she might have been stepping out with someone else's husband. Or a jealous husband? Maybe the mysterious homeless person that was seen lurking around the house and living in the woods?

Lucy isn't sure, but she's determined to investigate as the person arrested by the police just doesn't seem like a killer to her.

Highlights:

Lucy Stone had been one of my favorite characters, but her last several books have been very disappointing. This one gives us back the old Lucy who is more involved with her family and friends rather than her job a the Pennysaver.

Lucy getting the prime job of making the dog treats, resulting in her two daughters Sarah and Zoe not wanting to help as anythng containing liver is disgusting.

Sue's frustrations at meeting an "A" type personality that was stronger than she was and having to take second place. They wouldn't even let her make her "Better Than Sex" brownies.

Sarah - 14 & Zoe - 9. With just two children at home the book reminds me of the first ones in the series when she had three children at home, Toby, Elizabeth & Sarah and she worked part time at various jobs.

Frankie LaChance who may dress like a bimbo but seems to be an almost perfect mother while raising her teenage daughter alone. I would like to see this character continue in future books.

No Elizabeth. Lucy's oldest daughter ruined more books than any other character. For some reason she was turned into a smart mouthed, backtalking, having to have everything her own way brat. And Lucy bowed to all her wishes. I think I wrote about this relationship in my previous reviews. She's away at college and I'm hoping she never moves back hom.

Good mystery. Lucy does some real investigating this time.

Lowlights.

Lucy's wishywashy behavior. Her daughter Sarah is a cheerleader and Lucy finds out she and the other cheerleaders are being sexually harassed by the football players while on the bus to games. (I won't get into the details,) but if my daughter told me this and the principal and coach blew me off, I'd be at a lawyer's office. Lucy does nothing except talk to them and then wonders if maybe it isn't as bad as Sarah tells her.

Bill Stone - I don't believe for one minute his reaction when he hears what has been happening to his daughter. He seems to think it's ok because the team is winning. If you'd read the earlier books you would know this would not be Bill's reaction. I think he'd be up on murder charges.

I almost didn't buy this book as I have been so disappointed in the previous ones, but I'm glad I did. I hope the future books continue to have Lucy solving the mysteries from a background of her homelife and not her job.

As usual I thoroughly enjoyed this look in to Lucy's busy life. The plot is well crafted,quick moving and plausible (ok, as plausible as it can be for one person to be involved in several murders in a small New England town). A good evening by the fireplace for sure.

This installment in the Lucy Stone series was excellent. I thoroughly enjoyed it. Tinker's Cove is growing and new subdivisions and people are arriving.

The hat and mitten fund needs money. Lucy, Pam, Sue, and Rachel decide to have a bake sale. This was an interesting part of the book. It was typical how things change in communities and "new blood" should be brought in to help as often as possible.

These new people bring new situations to Tinker's Cove including murder. The author does an excellent job with this book. She weaves a story about teen issues and coping with home and career into her usual mystery. You will enjoy this book.

Boyle's career as a journalist is evident in his novels. The Jack McMorrow tales are as gripping as any crime thrillers and Boyle's work on the streets ensures that his books are authentic and gritty. Read one, you'll want to read them all.
-- Mark LaFlamme, author of "The Pink Room."

Good atmosphere, good characters, pretty believable story. The only thing is, when the murderer decides to kill McMorrow, it's not quite believable that McMorrow falls for his trap so readily, carelessly going out to the canal all alone. And wouldn't McMorrow's murder really only draw more scrutiny into the whole affair? From the book's point of view, the story had to end like this, but logically, in life, it would have made more sense for the murderer to have just moved out of town.

Boyle's Deadline is fast-moving and descriptive. He lets the novel build to a point of suspense, almost unbearably, before coming to a conclusion that is both intriguing and thought-provoking.

Slow moving mystery set in the mountain town of Androscoggin, Maine. The photographer for the weekly newspaper is found dead in a remote area of town and nobody seems to think it is suspicious, except the local editor, Jack McMurrow. The story moves very slowly and only picks up speed as it approaches the conclusion, and the conclusion leaves many honest questions about the plausibility of how the mystery is finally solved. Gerry Boyle started his career as a police beat reporter, and it shows. His writing style is that of a reporter and not a novelist. His novel is filled with 'filler' that fails to contribute to the story line and only succeeds in adding to the page count of the novel. If you pass on this novel you won't miss anything.

Good characterizations, particularly the average hardworking (and not so hardworking) citizens. Jack McMurrow just can't leave things be. Waiting for book #6. I'm a little prejudiced because I'm the author's brother. :)

Because our trip focused on hiking and bicycling, this book was perfect. We didn't paddle, but the hikes and bike rides were well-described. Because this is not a general guide like the Moon book, more space can be dedicated to these activities. The appendices and index were a nice touch. Although the book comes with the paper version of the wonderful AMC Hiking, Biking and Paddling Map, I'd highly recommend buying the separate tyvec version, as it is more durable. You'll use the AMC map almost exclusively because it has all the hiking trails, the carriage roads, the regular roads, and the shuttle bus stops.

Unless you're just there for a day or two to do the driving tour, you'll find good use for this guide and map. In fact, the map alone is worth the price. For example, you'll find parking areas that aren't indicated on the NPS map; no small advantage for visitors to this often crowded park. Another plus, the book has well organized trail charts to use in choosing your outing. And finally, there are descriptions of natural history to help you appreciate the ecology of the park. We found nothing inaccurate in the map or trail descriptions, but it must be noted that we sampled only a small portion of the trips described in the book. And I must add, if you are planning a trip to Acadia and have two reasonably well-functioning legs, make sure you get yourself out on a bike on the carriage paths. I don't know that you can get a cycling experience like that anywhere else.

Good book, but very general in nature. We didn't paddle or bike. We only hiked. The included, weatherproof map is a great asset. The hiking descriptions were brief, but accurate. I would recommend this book to anyone who is new to Acadia and wants to explore with a minimum of guidance. If you are specifically going to hike and do some very fun peak bagging, buy the Acadia Trail map in Bar Harbor.

We liked this book and did three hikes out of it. Overall the book was accurate. Probably next time we'd buy a pocket-size book, however, it was nice to read some of the detail and history about the areas we were hiking through. One item we suggest in the future is some drawing of the route. Although the book comes with a map and that worked (if we had it with us or handy).

You are not going to Acadia to bag another national park; you are not driving hundreds of miles just to drive up another mile to the summit of Cadillac Mountain, or to take a tour bus to the popover capital of the universe, Jordan Pond House. No. You are going there to bike your buns off. You're taking your kayak to feel the salty Atlantic spray in your face. You are going to bag Acadia's peaks the old fashioned way, by hiking up. You are going to need the Appalachian Mountain Club's book, "Discover Acadia National Park, Second Edition." You are going to need the pocket-sized map inside the back cover, and when your trip is over and you put it back in its sleeve, it's going to be dog-eared and wet. Your souvenir will be your sunburn; you'll do Acadia your way.

Cycling
Most of you will bike, it's the national sport here. The carriage paths (so called because John D. Rockefeller Jr. had them constructed for horse-drawn carriages), criss-cross the entire park, including the high elevation parts with the best views. When the AMC classifies the "Around The Mountain Loop" as "Difficult," you can expect to perspire a little. But honestly, the AMC tends to exaggerate a little. That "Around the Mountain Loop" isn't going to take you anything like 4 hours; it's going to take 2.5 hours at most. That 4 hour estimate is going to give you time to change a flat tire. And the Eagle Lake Loop will take a fit novice 50 minutes, not 2 hours.

Kayaking
The freshwater kayak excursions are very popular, but you didn't drive hundreds of miles to the Maine coast to paddle in ponds. Okay, loosen up in Eagle Lake, but eventually you're going to want to paddle Frenchman's Bay, The Porcupine Islands, or Somes Sound. Look a seal in the eye; photograph a humpback whale surfacing nearby for air. The seals are locals (notice their distinctive pronunciation), but the whales are tourists like you; say "Hi," and ask `em where they're from.

Hiking
Many of the hiking trails described in this book are fabulous, but some are forgettable. On a nice day there are literally a thousand people on Cadillac Mountain's one acre summit, half of them jockeying for parking spaces. The National Park Service needs to close the summit road so that the only access is by hiking or biking. Unfortunately this book doesn't indicate which destinations are accssible only with perspiration. Do try the Penobscot and Sergeant Mountain Trail, The Western Mountains - Mansell and Bernard, and The Peak Baggers' Delight. Actually any part of the Western Peninsula is going to be better hiking than the Eastern Peninsula; it's simply less explored.

Nor should you neglect the book's shaded boxes on topics like whales, lichens, the boreal forest, moose, and loons. You are there to take it all in, not to speed past things you'll seldom be able cozy up to again.

And take a little zip lock freezer bag to keep that little map dry. It's extremely helpful to gain access to the park's attractions, but it's a little fragile, and you're going to want it to stay intact in order to find your way out.

While reading this book, I absolutely could not figure out what in the world was going on. It was confusing because you are reading about all these different characters and strange things going on, BUT I was truly impressed by the writing ability of Linda Hall because its all neatly connected at the end for a satisfying conclusion. Not my favorite of her books, but its worth reading if you like her style, and I absolutely believe it takes talent to write this kind of story.

Easy and light reading. Characters were very interesting and the plot unfolded well.

Lamb's Island, Maine is a small community of close-knit people who watch out for one another. In the abandoned church on the island lives an unusual mix of people who are escaping from society for one reason or another. When one of them turns up murdered, they all fall suspect. Is it Jeremiah, running from his old life as a minister, or Peter, escaping a murder charge? Colin seems to have a dark secret in his past as well, and Philip does not appear honest to anyone, except the wife and daughter that he has abandoned in the old church. As Hall weaves this tale of suspense, you will be enthralled with the twists and turns that it takes. Every time I thought that I had it figured out, something new would crop up, like a nosy ferryman, an upscale dress designer, or a strange rowboat parked on the sand. Hall has once again shown that she is a master of the suspense novel. You will not be able to put it down.

Island of Refuge is a subtly drawn together story of a rag-tag group of down-and-outers coming together in an abandoned church on Lamb's Island, a rocky, wind-blown patch off the coast of Maine. Lamb's Island is very much off the beaten path with only one way on and off the island. You have to really want to be there to get there. The living is plain and hard, close to the land and the ocean.

The aimlessly wandering, searching souls arrive one at a time and find shelter and peace until the death of a young mother shakes the island refuge and reawakens the pain of the loss of another young woman twenty years earlier. With the stoicism inherent in the islanders, life continues as normal, but with suspicion towards the group of church-dwellers who have wounds enough that need to heal.

With delicate intricacy, Hall has interwoven the lives of the characters from the island, the mainland and Canada. Very well done. I had a hard time laying aside this well-plotted mystery, so full of expression.

This was one of the best books I have read in quite some time. I enjoy christian fiction, but get tired of some of the sugary- sweet dialog and how everything is just a little too perfect in the end. Linda's books are really true-to-life and they have a good message too. I have read Margret's Peace and Katheryn's Secret (both excellent books), but Island of Refuge is my favorite. It keeps you guessing right up until the end.

Carolyn Chute can write, no doubt about that. With rich, spicy, earthy prose she brings to life her rural Maine setting and a whole town full of characters in this third novel.

The setting is the same as for her first two books: Egypt, a small town on the edge of the woods in western Maine, a place where impoverished natives and rich folks "from away" live side by side, but seperate existences.

The characters in this 695-page novel include most of the population, with emphasis on LLoyd Barington, of working-class/farming stock, Forest Johnson, Jr., whose backhoe and 'dozing business employs many of the town's poorest, and Gwen Curry, whose horrid mother proves that money and Connecticut gentility are no proof against cruelty.

The plot, well, here the novel runs into trouble. There is no plot, so to speak. While her characters do cross paths with one another, there is no unifying progression of events- except the slow generalized denigration of a rural way of life. That, it turns out, is Chute's point. "Merry Men" is a documentation of hard times getting harder, of the corporate mindset grinding down the individual.

Not that all her Maine folk are saints, although Lloyd Barrington comes close. Forest Johnson, Jr., for instance, takes advantage of his employees' desperation at every opportunity.

As the book opens, Forest has called out the constable on a bitter winter night. A prank -the fifth in as few days. "Forest, Jr.'s frozen breath bunches and bounces around his face so now there's no face. When his face reappears, it's just this dark sovereignty of eyes behind steel-rimmed glasses and a fierce close shave." Faced with the constable's impotence, Forest vows to lie in wait and kill the merry prankster.

The book then jumps back 30 years, although this is not apparent unless you glance at the top margin of the page. We meet Lloyd Barrington, age 8 3/4, fat, earnest, sensitive, a writer of poetry, a lover of shade trees. This lengthy section is breezy, humorous, affectionate and deeply touching.

Lloyd's mother has died. He lives with his taciturn, incomprehensible father, Edmund, and a houseful of uncles, including Unk Walty, who cooks fabulous meals for them all, unless he's absorbed in one of his papier mache projects, like his masterpiece - lifesized reproductions of all the local women Edmund has slept with, seated around a table dressed in beautiful last-century costumes.

At night Lloyd sneaks out of bed and flits around town in his Super Tree Man costume. "A fat boy by day, maybe so. But tonight and many nights to come, he's a thing of glory." Lloyd plants baby maples. "If they make it, in thirty years, the fat lady's yard will be in deep cool splendorous shade."

Next we meet Gwen Curry on the day her father, Dr. Curry, has died. Gwen is a fearful, lonely child, her mind flickering between the awful events following her father's death and jagged memories of her short life with Phoebe, her mother. Every night Phoebe sings under the grate to Gwen's bedroom. A few times her father had remonstrated. "So Phoebe sang louder. Show tunes. Pop tunes. Rock and Roll. Television jingles. And once a shattery tinkling splat! A glass thrown into the sink."

Chute's portrait of manic cruelty and bewildered child is heart rending. Yet when Grandma packs them off to Connecticutt that's the last we see of Gwen for hundreds of pages.

In between there are numerous vignettes - Forest Johnson, Jr., fires an illiterate man and Forest's dissolute son returns from California bringing a grandson who's soon embroiled in family strife. The Soules, Lloyd's wife's people, lose their family farm to the bank. A young Soule falls in love with a middle-aged cousin of Lloyd's, a man on parole, suffering from clinical depression. They marry and as the husband loses his job, she becomes pregnant. Many of these stories end badly; some Chute simply abandons. Each absorbs the reader; none are fully resolved.

Finally Gwen Curry comes back, a rich, very rich, widow of an industrialist, a symbol of all the things gone wrong in Egypt. Her attaction to Lloyd, educated former hippie, man of all work, crusader, prankster, is instant. He is more ambivalent.

How Chute resolves this final conflict adds to the reader's frustration. Such magnificent writing, so often leading nowhere. And towards the end, Chute cannot resist long preachy passages explaining what's wrong with America even though she just spent 500 pages showing us. But Chute is worth reading for the breadth and beauty of her language and characters - even if you turn the last page and throw the book across the room.

Living in a small Maine town, I can attest to the veracity of Chute's vision. The characters are well-realized. Many scenes are breath-takingly well-written. Two problems with the novel: (1) It would be better without Chute's sermons about the grotesque evils of hunting & corporate America. (2) It would be a great novel with a different ending. The final act of the protagonist, Lloyd Barrington, is uncharacteristically & gratuitously cruel. That Chute had to change her protagonist's personality shows that she did not know how to end this wonderful, sprawling novel.

Carolyn Chute has an amazing talent at bringing to life the very heart and soul of her characters. This book exemplified that ability. Being from the same part of Maine of which she writes, I can identify strongly with these characters. Reading this book thrust me back in time to my youth in Maine---I was overwhelmed with nostalgia simply because Mrs. Chute wrote so well and was able to breathe life into her story. The characters of this novel were Maine personified. Anyone who grew up in Maine can understand what I mean---it wasn't like reading a novel, but rather was like actually being there and experiencing it. Thank you, Carolyn, for treating me to a part of my life I had previously thought forgotten and past.

Just as "Ulysses" was derided at it's debut, so has this book been. And just like "Ulysses" is now celebrated as a masterpiece of the millenium, so this book will be. Carolyn Chute, with only four titles in print, is the undisputed heavyweight champeen woman writer of the world. If you love Hemingway's wry just under the surface populism, you will love Chute. In fact, if you only read one book in your life, make it this one!

Chute's cyclonic novel absolutely captivated me and revealed a world within the state in which I live, but one that will always exist outside of mine as an "outer-stater". The characters, their struggles and disappointments were utterly realized. However, I have a problem with Lloyd's final "Robin Hood" act. For nearly 700 pages, Chute gave us an utterly endearing and sensitive character in Lloyd Barrington, one who NEVER hurt anyone and only acted against faceless corporations. For him to act so contrary to that nature was unfounded, no matter the economic status of an individual. Any feedback?