Maine Books

this was an incredible book of two innocent girls, and one who turns out not to be human. I got this book five years ago, and i am 19 now and still love it. It is truly a timeless classic!!

Molly-Jane-Bryson is on Ambrose Island,and her Oldest friend (Ruby) finds a "SEAl" on the beach. This child is a seal in a discise-like thing. With Molly's little brother Douglas who calls them "SELZ", they have a nice adventure. You must read this Book..... SEAL CHILD by Sylvia Peck

This is one of those rare childrens books that doesn't fade when you go back to it. I read this book for the first time when I was 10 years old, I'm in my twenties now and it still holds up. Each of Peck's characters has amazing depth -especially for a childrens book- and they become your friend upon reading. All the scenes are described so clearly I have memories from this book as if I lived it myself. Reading the book again is like returning home after a trip.

The book also gives a good message. It gently teaches about humans being responsible for nature and the world around us, as well as teaching important lessons about friendship that we can all use hearing again.

I would recommend this book highly. It's out of print but there are plenty of used copies around to be bought.

Molly Bryson is a twelve-year-old girl who's spending vacation at Ambrose Island. While there, she makes a friend-Meara. The following year, when their family visits the island once again, Molly finds out that Meara has a secret that may break their friendship apart.

i love this book soo very much. it has an un-ending glimmer of magic that captivates you and makes you want to keep reading. it has a quality many books don't have, re-read-ability. i have read this book un-countable times and i love it more and more, it doesn't get dull, it keeps on shining, i recommend this book to anyone who can read, your SURE to love it. {i apologize for the miss spelled words :) }

Shoutin' into the Fog: Growing Up on Maine's Ragged Edge

This is an amazing first book from a writer who began his life in harsh poverty. Not only does he describe his home, his siblings, his first cigarette, and his sense of responsibility after his father's death vividly, he also writes the kinds of sentences most of us wish we had written: "When we were teenagers in the 1940s, my second cousin Johnny MacGillvary and I used to row across Sheepscot Bay from Five Islands to Cozy Harbor in Southport because the girls on the east side of the bay seemed prettier and friendlier."

I recommend this book for those who want to:
-- understand rural poverty more fully
-- hear a child's perspective on hunger, embarrassment, injustice
-- see word images so vivid that it feels like we are there

Great first book! I recommend it most highly.

I too read straight through this book. It's a wonderful piece of prose. Just a great flow to Mr. Hannas writing, very gifted author. He really captured his years growing up and the descriptions of hardship, surroundings, personalities, and realization the world had to offer more for one of the poorest kids from five islands. If this book had a national spotlight it would become a NY Times bestseller for sure. Look forward to your next book.

The book was a birthday gift from my daughter....and excellent choice! I couldn't put it down! A really good read. It's an great first book...I hope there will be more from Mr. Hanna.

I was three when we five Hannas finally moved into the bungalow in 1929. All five of us lived in one large room. Bright-orange sheathing paper covered the wall studs and ceiling joists. More paper partitioned off a corner of
the bungalow where my father and mother slept. The children shared the open space with the kitchen and the living room.

Mary was born a year later in 1930. We still didn't have our front steps. We did have a screen door, nailed shut to keep little Mary from taking a six-foot headfirst tumble. On stifling summer evenings the front door was opened to let in the Sheepscot Bay breezes, but mostly we got outhouse fragrances. Irving and I loved to sit by the door on those evenings to listen to the peeper chorus, and watch the fat gray spiders climb down their webs under the eaves to wait for the swarms of mosquitoes that rose up from the swamp and whined around our door. The mosquitoes were quite adept at finding the pencil holes Irving had poked through the screen. We had the
welts to prove it.

Our one-room home arrangement lasted until the day I noticed how Cora was built different from me. When I asked my father how come she had a couple of parts missing, he allowed it was about time the girls had a room of their own.

Right away he sat down at the kitchen table and went to work on the five-room floor plan he¹d had to settle for. On the south side, there would be two thirteen-by-twelve rooms, the kitchen and the living room. Then he laid out three bedrooms on the north side facing Schoolhouse Road: a twelve-by-ten master bedroom and two twelve-by-eights. We children would get the small rooms; Irving and I in the middle and the two girls on the end.

The orange sheathing paper came down as he framed out the rooms. It hadn't been much use anyway, mainly because my father hadn't taken into account that children have sharp elbows suitable for poking holes. Strips of one-inch board nailed together made the studding. The National Biscuit Company provided the wallboard. They shipped their cookies and crackers to P. B. Savage's General Store, where my Grandpa Rowe worked (and which, under a different name, was started by his ancestors and which he had once owned himself), in heavy, corrugated, brown cardboard cartons. Percy Savage was happy to part with the empties.

My father carted the cardboard home and our National Biscuit rooms took shape. He tacked the cardboard to the studs and sealed the seams with gummed paper. Somehow he came by an old door, painted white, for his bedroom. My mother hung heavy curtains made of cretonne in the doorways of our rooms. The door and the flowery drapes brightened the house, but the cardboard walls were drab, even to my young eyes. Not even the frayed divan or the faded carpet (castoffs from a Malden Island cottage), the picture of my mother's late mother on one wall, or my mother's rocking chair could add much to it. But it was just for the time being, my father promised could afford something more solid.

The cardboard was still in place the day he died.

For a first book, this one is excellant in my opinion. It made me think of "Angela's Ashes" as I read the story of growing up in poverty on the Maine coast during the depression. I was awake til the wee hours, couldn't put it down.

Tracings is an exceptional collection of poetry. Each poem is elegantly written expressing the experiences and feelings of the writer in a way that few poets truly ever really achieve. The kind of works we all wish we had the ability to write and express ourselves. Moreover, almost all of the situations that the author expresses directly relate to real life experiences that we all face in our relationships with our families, while trying to belong, and as we start looking for truth and validation within ourselves.

In This Place My Heart Lies, the author looks at the subtle and not so subtle faces of racism. At the same time, this poem also illustrates another common issue: in-law issues. For many people, trying to please the in-laws is an exercise in futility as they will always find a reason that you don't belong or that you don't fit in.

Recognising Denial expresses the raw hidden feelings of a parent of a troubled child. The raw emotion and honesty of this piece touched me. Many parents will remember and relate to these deeply hidden feelings of love, guilt, and lost dreams that they thought they could never admit to anyone.

They Lied To Make Me Happy takes a look at white lies from the perspective of a child. The voice and tone of this poems is really rather unique as it contains a childlike innocence that immediately takes the reader back to childhood. As a parent, it really makes you rethink some of those white lies.

I had this book for months before I picked it up. What a stupid thing -- to put off reading this lovely little tome for so long is like putting off eating a fresh dish of tiramisu.

Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a natural talent honed to a bright polish by years of practice and exploration. "Tracings" is an example of her work at the height of her poetic expertise and passion. Poems like "Perfectly Flawed" start out with fiery word paintings and end up in a memory of childhood that moves us to our own memories -- the lovely ones scarred by reality -- but still lovely. Then there is "Earliest Remembered Sound" which also harkens back to childhood memories of World War II images, traumas and gallantry. And then there is "Mother in December" -- an ode to loss that is gradual and inevitable and all the more heartbreaking for it's seemingly endless duration.

This book is like gentle whiffs of Chanel #5 -- a perfect gift for mothers to give daughters, girlfriends to give other girlfriends, men to give lovers...poets to share with other poets.

Author/Poet Carolyn Howard-Johnson displays a different side of her talented self through an unusual look at life and feelings in "Tracings" a collection of poetry that reflects a non-traditional structure, timing, wording and even personal outlook. This poetry does not fit neatly into most poetic styling formats. She is not afraid to hang a phrase or a feeling out there bare naked for others to ponder and absorb.

Her themes are as varied and diverse as her wandering thoughts allow. She does not self censor her feelings but allows them to reflect her inner voice. Her life observations are sometimes simply "photographed in words" or emotionally "painted" with many brush strokes across the canvas of the pages. Each poem stands alone and speaks for itself. Her individual words are not what matters but the magic of how she strings them together to create this visual concept of what she is sensing and feeling or remembering is boldly articulated and leaves the reader totally in tuned with what she was trying to convey.

Carolyn is a masterful and creative writer and this small collection of her poetry certainly proves that to be true beyond any doubts! There is a fire of feminine spiritual energy burning in her writings but also a powerful and steady hand of control that gives these poems a special kind of feeling. You too will notice that these simple poems are much more than what they appear to be.

This book receives the MWSA's top book rating of FIVE STARS!

I am an author, but anyone who has seen my feeble attempts at poetry will quickly agree that I can't write poetry. Not so with Carolyn Howard-Johnson.
Carolyn has a unique ability to take the mundane things of life and turn them into words that echo with love, joy, peace, harmony until they become almost an inspirational experience.
But then you come to one of her poems that makes you laugh out loud!
I don't write poetry, but I enjoy good poetry, and Tracings presents some of the best I've read in years!

Janet Elaine Smith, author of the new Old Habits Die Hard (the 3rd Patrick and Grace Mystery) and Bank Roll (the 1st Max Stryker Mystery)

/Tracings/ written by Carolyn Howard-Johnson is a collection of poetry written from the heart. Whether you enjoy poetry or not, you will find this collection a worthwhile read. Ms. Howard-Johnson tells the story of not only her life, but of growing up in a society where it hurts to be different. A woman dedicated to teaching diversity, Ms. Howard-Johnson's writing clearly reflects who she is and how she got there.Although I've never met her, after reading this thought-provoking collection of twenty-three poems, I feel like she's an old friend. I enjoyed reading /Tracings/ and will be recommending it to my friends.
Penny Lockwood

WHILE YOU'RE HERE DOC is about a DVM's experiences through out his career. In this book you will find hilarious tales about cows, horses, a monkey, and many more. You will be amazed about the things that happen in the country. The saddest story is about a dog named Rover, the owner's boyfriend wanted to kill Rover had cancer and the boyfriend thought he would catch it. Dr. Brown put a stop to that and told him that no one can catch cancer from an animal.

Why I recommend this book is because it's heartwarming. When you pick it up you can't put it down.

In the realm of veterinary literature, some books encapsulate the love and cameraderie between humans and animals with aplomb, and some hooooooooooooo!!!! A book can wheeeee wheeeeeeeeeeee wheeeeee! Some books are hoooooooo! Oh man. Sheeez. Get it together, Kirkman. Some books, like this one, some books hoooooo hooooooo. This thing kills me.

I'm so glad I bought this book! I have read it twice...bet you can't read it just once. Get a copy it is great for all ages!

I discovered this book from a review in the Maine Sunday Telegram. "Small farms and their close, personal way of living... come alive for us in Brown's humorous, compassionate stories of struggling farm life."
You get first-hand accounts of the doc trying to save an ox that's choking on a too large potato or rescuing a cow from a love-struck moose. It's all told with enthusiasm and wry humor.

I highly recommend this book. It belongs in my collection along with all my James Herriot books! It is heartwarming and very funny. Also, Dr. Brown explains certain animal diseases and conditions in an down to earth, easy to understand way. I am a farmer and I found that I understand several diseases of our animals even better now. I only wish the book was longer. I couldn't put it down once I started reading it and I was very sorry to get to the last page. I wanted to read more of those wonderful animal stories. I would like to thank Dr. Brown for writing such a great book, and I sure hope he considers writing another one.

`The Arrows Cookbook' combines 156 recipes from the four seasons of the highly regarded coastal Maine restaurant with a experienced amateur gardener's recommendations on planting and running a large southern Maine vegetable garden for the restaurant. The book embodies the familiar mantra of using fresh, seasonal, local ingredients fortified by giving you the information you need to grow fresh, local ingredients. This is the special slant the book offers, as no publisher has yet gotten the chutzpah to charge $40 for a book without trying to give the reader something extra.

The tone of the book is heavily oriented to their rural Maine terroir in style and content. In Maine, the seasons play a much greater role in daily life than they do in California or even in Manhattan. Therefore, the book's attitude toward its product has neither the mystical reverence of Paul Bertolli or Alice Waters nor the high maintenance, high craftsmanship of Daniel Boulud or Eric Rippert. Even though there is considerable respect for ingredients and home brewed food making here in both the gardening in the Spring and Summer and ham curing done in the Winter. There is also no evidence of high tech houte cuisine (there are no prep or cook times or difficulties ascribed to the recipes) or of Napa Valley chic wine recommendations. This is Maine! This is boiled lobsters, boiled meat, and wild apple country.

The asking price of $0.26 a recipe is a relatively high price for the average cookbook. Many very good books average out at $0.10 to $0.20 a recipe, list. What would make you willing to pay the extra toll for this book aside from the celebrity status of the venue?

1. The recipes are good, simple preparations. Of the 156, there are:
Appetizers 27
Salads 22
Main Courses 26 11 of which are for seafood
Sauces 21
Side Dishes 36
Desserts 24

The relatively high proportion of appetizers, salads, and side dishes to main courses is explained by the fact that the menu is different for each of the four seasons, based on what produce is available in that season. There are few or no tomato dishes in Spring and few strawberry dishes in Winter. The up side to this picture is that this book is a very good source for seasonal salads, appetizers, and side dishes. If one's limited cookbook budget was aimed at either seasonally or vegetarianism, this is a very good book. The attention to edible flowers is especially noteworthy.

2. The gardening information is fairly complete for the straightforward vegetable garden. Its primary value is inspirational and getting one started in the right directions. A good bibliography of gardening texts is included. The supplementary books are needed, because these authors are amateurs. I found at least one botanical mistake, but it wasn't serious. The book's value drops off the further you live from the Southern Maine growing zone and the less space you have available to grow stuff. The greatest value of this part of the book is the inspiration it can give to save money by growing your own. I believe the frugality of restaurant operations and the way they treat their prima materia is one of the most useful inspirations for home chefs. The growing of herbs alone in a Manhattan apartment can probably save someone over $100 a year with a commensurate improvement in their cuisine. Check out the price of fresh basil the next time you are in the tomato aisle of your megamart.

The photographs in this book are very gratefully limited to special sections and are of a reasonable quality. I have given up assigning demerits for photos, which have the center of a plate in focus and the front and back out of focus. All are about the food. No sous chefs hamming it up for the camera. Very commendable. One regret I have about the photography is that the book gives special attention to a very large arrangement at the restaurant entrance which changes at least seasonally, yet they give not a single photo of this great work, even after giving a detailed description of how to construct one. There are also many small black and white photos related to the text, but with no caption. Occasionally disorienting. Lastly, I miss a few more photos of their extensive garden and greenhouse(s). I start to get the sense that, like Emeril's recent cookbook, this book is aimed at being an elaborate advertisement for the restaurant.

This is good and more than commonly useful book. At a discounted price of $30 or less, I recommend it.

When I need to plan a dinner for friends that are not foodies this is the first cookbook I choose. The recipes are delicious, easy to prepare and are not over the top. Every recipe has been meticulously checked and all have proven to be delicious. The book helps capture the feel of eating at the restaurant. The seasonality of the book's organization helps us northern new englanders plan an appropriate meal.

This book is a must have. The recipes are fun and easy to prepare. When my family goes to their restaurant we are always treated as family. So many of the recipes are great that I can't even pick a single one as my favorite. What really puts this book into the next level is the way that they use seasonal ingredients. A must have.

As both a cook and a gardener, this cookbook is a treat. Oganized by season, the recipes use fresh fruits, herbs, and vegetables found in the garden and at the farmer's market. There are ambitious recipes that call for a lot of time and preparation, as well as extremely simple fare. The book also gives hints and instructions for everything from freezing berries and shucking oysters to building raised beds; even providing advice on whether or not to buy a greenhouse! You can plant the authors' "10 veggies that let you have a life," and then use their recipes to create such dishes as Red and Golden Beet Salad or the very simple Ginger-Roasted Parsnips. Armed with my seed catalogs and Frasier and Gaier's cookbook for inspiration and ideas (not to mention a slice of Super-Moist Apple Cake and a cup of coffee), I am looking forward to planning my garden for 2004. I can hardly wait until next year's harvest!

Anyone who's ever visited Arrows Restaurant in Ogunquit, Maine, knows the owners are sticklers for exquisite detail. From the views of the lush and meticulous one-acre garden out the freshly painted farmhouse windows, to the seasonal food artfully arranged on the plate, the experience is a treat for the eye as well as the palate. With the garden full of flowers, herbs, vegetables and heirloom tomatoes for inspiration, the food is creative and bursting with bright and subtle flavors.

The owners' first book reflects this with a balanced presentation of recipes, gardening advice and personal details. Organized seasonally, the authors showcase Maine staples such as lobster, Maine shrimp and cod and halibut, fiddleheads and blueberries. But the fiddleheads come served in brown butter with Bundnerfleisch, a German cured beef (you could also substitute prosciutto or smoked salmon); the lobster comes in an Asparagus Soup with Lobster, Morels and Chervil, and the lobster salad is served, not with mayonnaise, but with Tomato-Tarragon Vinaigrette.

The authors cross cultures freely and do not mind a little extra effort for a spectacular result. The skewers for the Chinese-inspired Grilled Lamb Brochettes on Basil Skewers with Spicy Basil-Cilantro Marinade, for instance, are basil stems left to dry over the winter.

Each chapter opens with a short essay on the season and state of the garden (which provides 90 percent of the restaurant's produce) and business, then moves on to feature appetizers, main and side dishes, sauces and desserts. Recipes are prefaced with short, useful notes on growing (even in Maine, "tomatillos grow like weeds"), selecting (the best piece of bluefin tuna, for instance), variations, accompaniments, and cooking tips.

Interspersed with the recipes are short gardening pieces - how to grow tomatoes or peppers, growing and using herbs, watering with soaker hoses, using up zucchini, making the most of a small space, edible flowers, saving seeds and lots more.

But the food is what Arrows veterans are looking for here. For a tantalizing taste of summer, try a Sweet and Sour Fennel Salad or a simple plate of Marinated Tomatoes or a Sugar Snap Pea and Rock Shrimp Salad. Then maybe some Maine Sweet Clams with Risotto and Arugula, or Grilled Rib-Eye Steak with Herbs and Caramelized Onions. Accompanied perhaps by some Thai-Style Corn-on-the-Cob (soaked in coconut milk, grilled), or Yam and Leek Gratin, and your own Onion and Rosemary Focaccia. Topped off with Cinnamon Basil Shortcakes with Peaches or Blueberry Ice Cream or Steamed Raspberry Pudding.

This is an attractive, personable, conversational book, as much fun to cook from as to browse. The recipes are not difficult, though some are time consuming and many feature ingredients you can find, but not necessarily at the local supermarket (but isn't a new discovery half the fun?). A delightful book and a kitchen inspiration.

Well written and amazing to read. Author captured the moment and took you there. Book was flooded with facts.

I would highly recommend this book, it is not only for the history buffs.
If you do enjoy history, you will love the author's details.

I very good book that gives the reader an interesting twist on what was believed to be gospel. The author's research is convincing.

An awesome book....definitely a different view .... a must read for anyone seeking to truely understand Benedict Arnold's story.

Who would have thought that what was assumed by the average student of American history to be an open and shut case against Benedict Arnold could be brought into question. And, furthermore, to do so with such detailed facts woven into a rather gripping novel format. Mr. WIlczak has laid out a compelling case that Arnold was not a traitor but a collaborator with George Washington to ultimately fool the British. This book could be the basis of an excellent movie.

This book expresses a thoroughly researched, fresh approach to one of history's most infamous legends. When I began to read the book I felt my feelings regarding Benedict Arnold could not be swayed. The author, however, through meticulous use of timeline, documented fact, and letters of many of the involved, opened my eyes to the possibility that Arnold may have been the protaganist in a great scheme to free the colonies and help create the United States. I highly recommend this book to anyone who seeks the truth instead of the commonly handed down history stories we have been fed since childhood. AAAAA+++++

I first found this book (or should I say it found me) in a cool little bookshop in Washington DC in 2000. The title immediately grabbed me and I knew I had to read it. I was even more pleased with the book than I had guessed I'd be!

I believe this would fall into the genre of Magical Realism (but not 100% sure.) The novel is divinely inspired and reminded me at times of Toni Morrison's "Beloved" (which is definitely a much larger gem). Here the focus is on healing the past hurts, and having faith. Very much goddess/pagan oriented in my opinion, but has absolutely no religious doctrine in it and should appeal to many. All the characters are women, but I did not have a problem or objection being a man and reading this. Very enjoyable.

At first I wasn't sure what to make of this book, but after I realized that Ms. Gideon was writing a tale of fantasy, I was able to allow her message to reach deep into a part of me. This book is a story about overcoming the obstacles of the past: our mother's struggles, our fears, and the memories that come down to us from generation to generation which keep us from being truly human. This is a parable,teaching us that it is better to live than to give up, that it is possible to overcome the things that kept us down in the past, and that it is necessary to forgive what others have done to us. Only in forgiving and loving can we be free. A great book!

This is the most amazing book of it's kind that I've ever read. It truly puts womanhood into words that I have never heard before. This book is a great story that one MUST detach themselves to reality to read, that's what makes it so great! My mother gave me this book and I put off reading it for the longest time because I just didn't think I would be interested. But now, I have all my girlfriends and their mothers reading it. Understand that it is not for everyone, as those who cannot manage to detach themselves from reality will not understand a story that gives us a talking house, a clever river, and three travelers that reminded me of the sun, the moon, and the stars! Oh, but Gideon's writing style is so beautiful and so descriptive that you can taste the food and smell the flowers as you read!

I picked up this book at a clearance sale and it has become one of my favorites. I am a great lover of fantasy works which force the reader to bring in interpretations and knowledge which they possess, so this novel was ideal for me. Gideon describes the intensely emotional bonds between women (mother/daughter, friend/friend) in a poetic and beautiful way. Told in an enchanting style of exposing only bits and pieces of the characters' stories, as is how we remember as humans, the reader weaves through the sorrow, elation and everyday life of the women in the novel. The reader becomes immersed in a world of talking houses, giddy rivers, thousand year old women, and a young girl who swallows the moon. The characters display great emotions as they tell the story of generations of pain and healing.

Melanie Gideon's The Girl Who Swallowed The Moon is one of my favorite books. Gorgeous prose style and brilliant interpretation of the Persephone/Demeter story combine to create a powerful story about mothers and daughters, and the strength of women. A tangible spirituality, a rejoicing in both the mundane and the extraordinary. I woke from this book feeling alive, refreshed, and hopeful. All women should read this book. (Men are also encouraged.) :)

I have known Marianne since teaching workshops with her for the Appalachian Writers' Association. She is a skilled teacher as well as a remarkable poet. This book is a fine debut and a welcome addition to Appalachian poetry.

Marianne Worthington's Larger Bodies Than Mine is the winner of the 2007 Appalachian Book of the Year Award for Poetry awarded by the Appalachian Writers Association. Past winners include James Still, George Ella Lyon, Charles Frazier, Robert Morgan and Lee Smith.

Although we grew up hundreds of miles apart, in a different time and place, Worthington makes me put my own family under a microscope and remember everything. She finds the truth in the everyday, and makes it extraordinary like few writers can do. This is something I will share with everyone I know.

With aching tenderness and an impressive mastery of lyrical language, Worthington digs through the scraps of her memory to piece together something warm and comforting to protect her from the underlying knowledge she has of the transitory nature of all things.

Just as in the gardens, fields, and woods mentioned so often in her poems, she remembers seasons of bloom and seasons of decay.

In spite of the darkness present in some of these poems, many of the artifacts of her American childhood are retrieved from the attic and baement of her past to be spread in sunlight,like objects in a yard-sale, upon the green lawn of her imagination. The old and ancient are thus renewed. Brought into the present they are seen as evocative and interesting.

The poems in this volume ask us to consider our own lives, our family's lives, and our own sense of values.

Though an awareness of death (and perhaps a deep fear of it) drives these poems. In the end, it is the poet's acceptance of such things as part of the natural order that redeems them.

Marianne Worthington is an accomplished poet who uses skillful restraint when dealing with intensely emotional moments. In spite of the down-home atmosphere that showcases these poems. They are definitely not sentimental or cliche. They are strong in both message and craft.

Perhaps, the best thing about this slim volume is its brilliant simplicity. Worthington is a mature poet with enough distance and wisdom to present things just as they are.

"Larger Bodies Than Mine" is a memorable first book written by a poet who will make you eager to hear what else she has to say.

This is a beautifully produced chapbook full of beautiful poems. Every single poem is popping with the lyrical nature of everyday life, but Worthington transcends "real life" with her perfectly chosen words. These are important pieces about family, mostly, but also about the joys and struggles that join us all. This is a must for any true poetry collection.

I am so proud of the work, and the acrhitecture in the book. It depicts the awesome Maine history, and the author's amazing gift. I hope everyone enjoys it as much as Fred's family has.

I wish that more books on architecture could be this good! First of all, the title is a bit misleading. Many of Savage's works shown here are not, and never were intended to be, cottages. So in addition to private dwellings, there's an inn, schools, firehouses, garages, etc. Second, for the private dwellings, what we think of as cottages nowadays and what was thought of as cottages back in 1900 or so are very different. I remember reading many years back about a 1900's cottage in Aiken, S.C., which had something like 40 bedrooms, plus about 15 servants' bedrooms. The book shows High Seas, built 1911-12: 23 rooms plus a servants' wing with 5 servant's bedrooms--this was, at the time, a cottage.

You get a coffee-table book with stunning photography of both buildings and landscapes (many of the landscape photographs have no houses visible in them). There is an old map of Mount Desert Island, and period drawings and paintings. There are old photographs of the buildings and of Savage, etc. What is a delight are original architectural sketches and floor plans for many of the buildings. The chapters mostly cover individual buildings, and there's accompanying narrative. Consequently, what you get here is a tribute to a man who was able to blend architectural beauty with the great natural beauty of Mount Desert Island: Savage was able to work superbly with the settings and the land. Sadly nowadays, too much architectural work is done by drastically modifying the setting, chopping down most of the trees: for too many people, and too many architects, the goal is that your expensive house should be conspicuous--a highly-visible tribute to your wealth. Savage took the opposite approach--the buildings were there for the people to enjoy them, and to relish the beauty of the land. Quite a book!

Fred L. Savage was my great-grandfather. As a descendent of Fred's only son, Francis Chase Savage, I couldn't be more proud of this beautiful book honoring the history of Mt. Desert Island, and my great-grandfather's place in it. I would only suggest one improvement: I wish that more photographs of Fred and his family would have been included, rather than the multi-page spread of photos of the family of one of his clients. Otherwise, Fred's work speaks for itself. It's breathtaking!

The coast of main around Bar Harbour, and the houses on that coast are some of the most beautiful areas on any coast, anywhere. The problem is that the waterfront there is almost entirely privately owned with access restricted and with so much vegitation (trees) so that these views cannot be seen by the casual visitor.

A surprising amount of these houses are the work of or were influenced by one architect, Frederick L. Savage. This magnificant book takes us not only back in time through historic photographs, but also through the trees and down the private access roads to see these houses and their settings.

The style of these houses, most dating around 1900 have become almost a traditional United States style, although sometimes looking somewhat out of place when placed in a different kind of climate. These houses were designed to keep out the severe Maine winters, with small windows, strongly build roofs and the like.

I must confess I knew very little about the coast of Maine before picking up this spectacular book. The images are just so crisp and well executed. Mr. Savage designs fit the coast of Maine perfectly, they are so well sited and they really complement their breath taking settings. The text is quite informative and the images really make the houses and surrounding landscape come alive. One warning, after reading this book you will want to hop a plane to Maine.

I highly recommndthis book. It has some really beatiful
photos in it of lighthouses from Maine. I would give it ten stars if I could. It's a lovely book.

This wonderful book is a very useful "field guide" to the lighthouses of Maine. Any visitor to the Maine coast should make a point of seeing these sentinels. Courtney Thompson's book has excellent photos, maps, and descriptions. I always take it along, actively seek out the local lighthouses, and make notes in the margins about the date I visited each location and my reaction to the light -- and the book has become a journal of my lighthouse visits.

I recently completed a vacation in Maine, and as a shameless lighthouse junkie I went in search of a book that would tell me all I needed to know as I set out on my journey. That is, where the lighthouses are, how to get there, the history behind the lights, interesting facts, and great pictures. Courtney Thompson's book provided all of that and much, much more. Well-written, beautifully constructed, amazingly informative. This book is easy enough to use that even the most casual lighthouse seeker will be satisfied, but detailed enough that individuals looking for something more substantial and in-depth will be impressed. From the history of lighthouses in general at the beginning of the book to the discussions and numerous photos of each light presented and the excellent tips on where to head to find each one throughout, the book is never less than comprehensive. It's easy to see how much effort went into the book. I had doubts when I went looking for a book that I'd find what I wanted, but this went well beyond any hopes I had. It's THE best lighthouse guide I've seen. I can't think of much I'd even do to make it better. This was my field guide as I drove through Maine, and the directions were always dead on. And not only directions, but maps, too! I knew where to turn to find the best view of the Cape Elizabeth light. Where to go to see the Cuckholds. What's that light I see as I head into Acadia? Egg Rock, of course! Okay, I know I'm gushing here, but this book is that good. So good, in fact, that I bought the companion volume for the Canadian Maritimes. If lighthouses are a passion for you, this book is an absolute must. It truly made my trip. I can't wait to go back, book in hand, and hunt down more of the lights I missed. Thank you, Courtney Thompson!!!

This book has an unbelievable amount of information for the lighthouse enthusiast. Each lighthouse of maine is given from one to three pages each, with up to 10 photos of each light, plus a map, brief history, directions how to get there, how to get a water view, etc. This is undoubtedly overkill for most people, but invaluable for the true enthusiast. My only gripe: the graphic design is uninspired, and most photos are only 2x3 or so. Perhaps fewer, larger photos would have been better.

This book is obviously for the enthusiast. Plenty of pictures but just as important, accurate directions on how to get there. It even identifies those no longer open to the public. I purchased it while on vacation in Maine and found it to be invaluable.