Maine Books

William G. Williams does an excellent job of blending real life accounts of the Gettysburg Civilians to create an educational and compelling novel. Included in the book are photos of some of the civilians whose stories are being told, as well as a map of Gettysburg to help familiarize yourself with the areas the story takes place in. Many books have been written about the Battle of Gettysburg, but this is a great way to get an understanding of how the families and storekeepers were affected by the battle that literally took place in their backyard!

What a super idea - take the information from the many diaries, journals, and first hand memories and turn it into a novel of sorts. With all of the facts and documentation at one's fingertips - and that is NOT including the computer/internet - one would think that this book would be an engulfing read filled with the sort of descriptions to literally take the reader back in time.
Unfortunately, Mr. Williams did not do his historical homework. Pretty much all he did was embellish a bit on the original words of the diarists, with an accent on 'A BIT'.
To have the idea turned opportunity, as Mr. Williams did with literally hundreds of books readily available, I must say I was sorely disappointed in the outcome.
First off, DESCRIPTION. There is very little to be found. He writes of the citizens entering their homes with little thought of what the rooms of their homes may have looked like; the kitchen, bedroom, cellar, even the houses themselves.
There is also very little insight to how these folks might have looked - what they wore, how they carried themselves. I mean, if you're going to write it out in story form then give us a mental picture. And there seems to be more telling of, rather than playing out, the scene. Pretty simplistic.
The other thing that really bugged me was the language usage. Again, how folks spoke at that time is readily available in a multitude of books, including original period novels as well as writer's guides for those who write period stories and novels. For example, in 'Days of Darkness' Mr. Williams writes, "...I recognized him as a recruit in Bell's Cavalry whom I knew, so I said, 'Hello, Bill, what's up?'" Hmmmm. Hello, Bill, what's up??? I don't think so. If one were to jet back in time and greet someone in that manner they would surely have been looked upon quite queerly (in the 19th century sense of the word). 'Hello' was not a greeting as we know it to be. That did not come around until a number of years after the invention of the telephone. And "what's up" is from the latter half of the 20th century.
Maybe it's because I avidly study social history that I notice these sort of blunders, but if one wants to write an accurate historical novel, then one should do their homework.
On the plus side, Mr. Williams does a good job in the telling of the events of the summer of 1863 in Gettysburg, which is why this book received a "3". And, as another reviewer commented, it would make a wonderful movie.
For those of you who would like to read the story of the Gettysburg civilians as told by those who were there, may I suggest "Firestorm At Gettysburg" by Slade and Alexander, and "Days of Uncertainty and Dread" by Gerald Bennett. Both books are as gripping as any period novel out there.

This book is a great read for someone who wants to have a citizen's perspective on the battle at Gettysburg. Even though I know a lot about the battle, itself, I learned that the town actually changed hands several times. The Civilians did not see Blue or Gray, but real men who were wounded, starving or just plain scared. I was especially taken by the knowledge that at times, the Union held the front porch of a house, while Confederate soldiers occupied the back porch, with the interior of the home being "no man's land". A great edition to any Civil War Historian's library.

I read this incredible and rare perspective on the great battle and came away with a rather astounding cinematic vision for its telling. This author has chosen to invite us into a glimpse of farmland simple life interrupted by ghastly warfare that changed all the lives of its citizens forever. How often do we think of that concerning the Civil War battlefields? Amazing take. I bought one for a friend immediately afterwards. This absolutely MUST be a film someday!

People tend to think of the battle of Gettysburg and consider the famous fields such as Pickett's Charge, Wheatfield, Little Round Top and Culp's Hill to be the history while the civilians in town shared their own battle. The entire town was littered with sharpshooters, Confederate soldiers, the wounded and prisoners. The Gettysburg people were basically caught up in this fray and this book demonstrates the horrors and hardships that these people witnessed. Personal accounts are placed together in almost a novel-like format which places the reader quite easily within the action itself. Stories such as housing the wounded, losing a home, sharing food with the soldiers caught up in battle and witnessing the bloodshed are among the many stories within this great book. It is a must read for those looking to understand Gettysburg completely.

This book gives you all you need to know about travelling to Acadia. It covers biking, hiking, kayaking, and just about any other "-ing" you might be interested in.

The maps help out anyone not familiar to the area, too.

I think it's a great, well-written book that will aid anyone planning to visit this part of Maine.

Discover Acadia National Park: A Guide To The Best Hiking, Biking, And Paddling by nature photographers and outdoor enthusiasts Jerry and Marcy Monkman is a comprehensive, informative guide to the scenery, wildlife, trails, trip-times as it showcases the resources and sights of the beautiful Acadia National Park of Maine. Difficulty gradings, maps, and straightforward information make Discover Acadia National Park the perfect guide to learn which hiking trails are best for the interests of every reader. A fold-out hiking and biking map is included in this book enthusiastically recommended for anyone planning an outdoors expedition to this splendor-filled preserve. If you are planning an outdoor adventure in the Acadia National Park, beginning planning your trip by browsing through the pages of Jim and Marcy Monkman's Discover Acadia National Park!

This book does offer lots of informative descriptions of many hiking trails, bike rides, and paddling trips in Acadia. It describes not only selected carriage roads, but also some often-overlooked fire roads and other dirt roads. And the map which comes with it is, like all AMC maps, outstanding; it is even printed on waterproof, tear-proof tyvek. However, I would like to point out quite a few flaws of this book:

1) The book is overly large to carry with you on a hike
2) Confusing verbal descriptions of trail locations can be difficult to locate on the included map. Ideally, each trip should contain a thumbnail map, or at least be coded to the central map.
3) Long verbal descriptions should be condensed into a cue sheet for each trip. Although the park is well marked, presumably the point of buying the book is to follow a route suggested by the author.
4) A little more subjectivity wouldn't hurt. The book has lots of information but could use some more opinion. Again, the point of buying a book is to get a viewpoint from an "expert."
5) The book is by no means "comprehensive". "Comprehensive" means "every trail in the park." This book is selective, not comprehensive.

I love this book and refer to it often when I feel the need to take an outdoor adventure in Acadia. While it aptly describes every trail in the park and comes with an impressive 4 color map , what sets this guide apart is its descriptive narrative of park features. It's sidebars and little factoids about the area's history, flora, and fauna give the reader a deeper understanding of the place he or she is hiking, biking, or paddling through. It makes for much more interesting reading than the typical "turn left at the trail junction." Visitors new to the area will also appreciate the book's listings of campgrounds, museums, gardens, whale and puffin watching tours, etc. Tons of great info packed into a reasonable size!

I've used this book on a couple of trips to Acadia. It's best feature is the detailed pull-out map in the back which shows all the major hiking trails. This is a great book to study BEFORE your trip. It has very detailed descriptions of hiking and biking trails and paddling and sea kayaking trips. It's great to pick out the activities you want to do, but this detailed nature makes it less useful on the trail though. It's too wordy and too bulky. (Take the map with you though!) It would be better if it had more pictures of the different areas. It's also missing mini-maps of each hiking or biking trail. Instead, you're left to pull out the map and try to follow along based on their descriptions. It would be great if this book were split into two, one for hiking and biking and one for paddling and sea kayaking, each in color with more pictures and terrain maps. Until then, there's still a lot of great info in this edition.

well written lots of information, but several years old, I thought it would be 2008, some things are gone others have changed owners, but we'll take it with us and over all good information

This is an outstanding book. We used the book for all of our reference points for Bar Harbor and the surrounding areas. I would recommend this book to anyone who is not familuar with Maine and all that it has to offer. Buy the book and use it to plan all of your activities and places to eat.

I purchased this as a gift for someone moving to the Maine coast. Frommers has always been helpful to me when I move to or visit a new region.

We referred to this book frequently during our stay in Acadia. We didn't find any errors or misinformation, and so I'm giving it the highest rating because it served its purpose well.

I live on the coast of Maine and have many requests from friends to visit during the summer and fall. I always send this book out before my friends arrive so that they can see everything the Maine coast has to offer and so that I can adequately make a plan for them to see the things that matter most to them. It is an invaluable guide and it "spot on" with descriptions.

This book is in the best traditions of the great storytelling - it could have been written by Robert Louis Stevenson. A lyrical tale of the Maine woods with a page turning plot and whimsical and almost magical encounters between homespun characters. A recommended read for anyone who enjoys good writing and a good old-fashioned yarn; and eminently suitable for intelligent younger readers.

Peter Loon is mainly an adventure story about the travels of a young boy whose mother has sent him to find someone he's never met. The time predates Van Reid's Moosepath League series; however, this story is just as full of interesting characters, twists, and marvelous tales. Despite the roughness of the time and place, Mr. Reid treats the reader fairly gently. The land essentially is another character and it appears to me that Mr. Reid is very fond of Maine and it's history. I was never bored.

I have enjoyed all the books by Van Reid. Its very much like a flash back to a simpler time, when the right thing was the right thing...

After the success of his "Moosepath League" trilogy, Reid turns his unjaundiced eye on a little-known aspect of an earlier period in Maine history - the struggle in the early 1800s between homesteading, hardscrabble farmers and the rich absentee owners, who had been granted huge tracts of wilderness by the English.

Peter Loon is 17 when his father, Silas, is felled by a tree while helping Peter clear land for a farm of his own. The night before Silas' funeral, Peter's otherworldly mother, the beautiful and "touched" Rosemund, wakes him to demands he go on a search for an uncle he has never heard of, Obed Winslow. As the reader knows and Peter does not, Obed was Silas' best friend, who left after he lost the contest (literally) for Rosemund's hand.

Peter has never been further than a few miles from the little settlement carved out of the forest and at his lyrical, easygoing pace, Reid explores young man's welter of feelings, embodied in his familiar forest surroundings.

"Peter heard the breent of a nightjar nearby and thought he caught the glimpse of something wing past a fleeting pool of open sky. He had no idea what he was about, walking the woods in the middle of the night, but he did not find them unpleasant, at first, these immediate sensations.

"It was not long, however, before another reality of life, as he understood it, imposed itself - and that was the fact of uncanny things in the forest, the knowledge of curious and perhaps malicious disembodied minds lurking in the darkness between the trees."

Fretting about the family left behind, curious about the unknown world ahead, Peter's agitation is reflected in his surroundings until he lays down to sleep at the foot of a tree. Awakened by a dead deer, he appears, to the hunters, to spring from the belly of the beast, and thus begins an odyssey which opens his eyes to a greater section of humanity than he ever expected to encounter.

Taken up by an itinerant and well-read preacher, a wise man, Peter crosses paths with zealots using religion to further evil intentions, fair maidens in need of rescuing, angry farmers fomenting rebellion, rich landowners oozing contempt, liquored-up rabble rousers, coquettish girls with not enough to do and one fiery girl who does exactly as she pleases. He discovers class and the huge gulf between rich and poor - his perplexity at the notion of a picnic is particularly funny - and learns that good or evil resides with the individual and not his place in society. He discovers romance, and discovers it again. He has his eyes opened and retains his innocence.

Although more archetype than individual, Peter is an endearing character, who learns to rely on the core of integrity within him - along with his handsome looks and quick, if naïve, mind. As seen through his fresh eyes, the world is a chaotic, beautiful, violent, new place.

Beautifully written, this is a humorous, graceful, old-fashioned novel with a touch of Tom Jones and a whisper of Huck Finn. A fine beginning to a new series for Van Reid.

What a shame that the Publisher's Weekly review quoted on this page was so wrongheaded. And what a shame that I allowed it to keep me from reading this book for more than a year! It is almost as if the reviewer expected a romance novel and when it turned out to be something different the reviewer couldn't shift gears. What a shame!
"Peter Loon" is romantic, but in the old fashioned sense, that of an adventure. What hints of romance there are in the book are realistic and touching.
But it is the adventure that carries this book! It reminded me of something by Robert Louis Stevenson and that is no exageration. In particular "Peter Loon" reminded me of "Kidnapped." There is the beginning of the book, where the young man is looking for an uncle. There is the similarity in that both young protaganists come under the mentorship of an older wiser man. In Peter's case it is the extraordinary Parson Leach, who is one of the most fascinating charcters I have encountered in fiction lately. Also linking this book with "Kidnapped" in my mind is that both find their young wanderers stumbling into a civil rebellion. I loved "Kidnapped" and must go back and reread it after all these years. I loved "Peter Loon" too.
Made to choose, I would pick Mr. Reid's Moosepath series as my favorites, but this slice of eighteenth century adventure is exciting, evocative, and uplifting. The mistical scene when Peter is traveling the northern by forest and finds himself in the middle of a herd of dear is worth the price of the book. More people should read it and learn from Parson Leach about how to confront a dangerous situation with true Christian principle. Not to worry, the book is not preachy, only powerful.
It will be a long time before I let a bad review keep me away from one of my favorite authors. Sorry Mr. Reid. And thank you. My faith in your skills is unshaken. Beautiful cover, too.

Ex-FBI agent turned private investigator, Alex Rourke, is called back to his hometown of Winter's End, Maine by old friend, Sheriff Dale Townsend to help solve a murder of a woman found lying dead on a dark roadway. A young man wielding knives sits besides her naked corpse. The man refuses to give his name and to answer any questions. Rourke is an expert interrogator, but suspect is more adept at playing mind games than he could have imagined. Rourke struggles as he confronts his own demons brought into the forefront by this mysterious suspect who has too much personal knowledge of him.

WINTER'S END was an engrossing page-turner from the very first page; a very hard book to put down. The plot while not exactly realistic, was intricately plotted and very suspenseful. An excellent debut novel to what hopefully will become a series.

Think: Stephen King and Thomas Harris meet Ed McBain. This is a fine debut by an author who, the back bio blurb says, lives in England. The book is about a small town in Maine: Think Salem's Lot. But the first person phraseology and dialogue of allegedly all-American middle class folk ring stiltified and British to this American ear: "I've not found," "midday" "half past six."
But Dialect be Darned - it's a fine debut! That's all I'm saying - to say more would engender giving away the genre in which this finally finds itself - and I just hate it when reviewers divulge too much!
/TundaVision, Amazon Reviewer

This was above and beyond your regular P.I. novel. It was atmospheric, with some scenes that made me feel like I was reading a gothic horror novel. And at the same time it was an astounding page-turner. I found myself staying up too late wanting to read more. Alex Rouke is a likable character, yet also human, with real flaws. I enjoyed the ending as well and did not find it predictable at all. Highly recommended for mystery/suspense fans. I'm looking forward to Rickards' next book.

This book is certainly interesting reading.

The story of a man who solves mysteries for a living running into a suspect he can't crack, in the town he grew up in of all places? Certainly a nice premise, and one that the author does his best to play through to the end.

I read this book while travelling in Europe, and after having spent a few days in England I was certainly aware of some Britishisms in the book, but otherwise the dialogue is clean and the characters range from interesting to tolerable. The lead character is tough and smart without being "hard boiled" or invincible, and even when some characters seem a little one-dimensional they are at least engagingly so.

Some of the relationships between characters are a bit thin at times, but the exploration of what it means to "go home again" with the express purpose of digging up the unpleasant corners of your past is built carefully. Certainly there are moments where the reader (or at least this reader couldn't) can't help but imagine what secrets might be lying beyond the edges of our own vague memories of home.

The twists and turns kept me reading, and the generally smooth writing made it enjoyable. I recommend this book for any casual reader's mystery list, as long as police procedurals and New England settings don't grate the nerves. They don't bother me at all, and I plan on picking up any other books from this author that I see.

In this very good and very dark mystery set in Maine, Alex Rourke is asked to come home and help with a murder investigation. Alex is a former FBI agent born and raised in Winter's End, Maine. He hasn't been home once since he left years ago and now has resurrected his life as a private investigator in Boston.

But Sheriff Dale Townsend, brother of his best friend in school, needs his help. Sheriff Townsend has a suspect in the recent murder of a local woman. While the suspect was seen standing over the nude body holding knives in his hands during a heavy rain, there is not any proof that he actually committed the murder. The man won't confess or say anything meaningful at all and the Sheriff is stumped. The Sheriff and Alex worked another case a couple of years ago by phone with Alex suggesting a couple of things and that fact along with the fact that Alex had a reputation as a very good interrogator before his mental breakdown several years ago, convinces him that Alex is the man for the job. They need identification of the suspect and a confession fast as the local population is very upset and the pressure is on to close the case.

Alex agrees to help and soon finds himself back home in Winter's End dealing with a suspect that seems to be playing with him for his own amusement. At the same time, Alex begins to confront why he left in the first place and his actions the last several years. Alex is forced to deal with the past as dark forces move around him, pushing him towards a final confrontation and not just with the suspect.

Vast stretches of this debut novel reminded me tremendously of work by James Lee Burke. The author's use of imagery that, in this case is often the play of light and shadow evoked the association, as did his use of disturbing dreams and visions. Much like in James Lee Burke's works where the dead take visible form and have a message for the living, the same sort of thing happens in this novel several times. Alex's subconscious is very active and as this nearly three hundred-page novel works to its conclusion, the line of sanity becomes increasingly blurred.

At the same time, the character of Alex like many of the other characters in this novel is slowly developed. Unlike many first time novelists who perform a sort of data dump on the reader, each piece of background info is slowly doled out to the reader. As such, along with the other elements of pacing, plot, action, etc. everything is slowly but consistently moved forward tightening the grip on the reader as the novel unfolds.

This is a complex and very enjoyable novel and one of the best books I have read in a long time. Hopefully, this is the beginning not only of a series, but also of a novelist's career. If so, it is one heck of a start.

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.

Just returned from our 2nd Annual Bar Harbor trip. This book is extremely helpful and accurate. We've used the majority of hiking and biking trails with this book, but no kayak trips yet. Totally recommend!

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.

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.

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 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.

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

"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.