Massachusetts Books

The stories in this collection by Michael Lee come at you with a humor and humanity that to this reader's mind and heart tell the story of American manhood today. These are stories about guys with heart trying hard to preserve their good humor and what dignity a world that could mostly care less allows them. There are no literary posturings here, just literature at its quiet, touching, funny, enjoyable best. This would be a great gift for just about any man between the ages of 25 and 70 -- and for any woman who wants a glimpse of how we tick! The only bad thing about this book is that it ends. More, Mr Lee, more!

"PARADISE DANCE" IS A GREAT READ!

LAUGHED, CRIED AND WAS DEFINITELY MOVED.

LEE'S GRASP OF HIS CHARACTERS AND THE CHALLENGES THEY ENCOUNTER
EXHIBITS AN ADEPT UNDERSTANDING OF THE QUIET NOBILITY THAT RESIDES
IN THE HUMAN CONDITION.

THE BEST COLLECTION OF SHORT STORIES I'VE READ THIS SEASON.

LEE HAS THE GOODS!

Michael Lee captures the heart's hidden emotions of our day to days most ordinary and mundane interludes. Each and every person
who reads this book will look with new insight into their lives and those closest to them. This collection of short stories is a must read.

Mike Lee's ability to turn a phrase is akin to the joy that newly washed windows bring: sudden clarity to unexpected views.

People come first in Lee's world, and he introduces some beauts and some beauties. From Frankie and Bobby in Oklahoma to "Nola" Bowden, all of his characters express their innermost thoughts whether we're ready or not.

Lee is able to describe feelings many of us have shared in language that is crisp and direct, but applied in circumstances that few, if any, could claim to share. Neither the plight of budding entrepeneurs in the XXX sports market, nor the happiness of an immobile street performer in Paris tickled a neuron of identification with me, but the desperate need to succeed or simply to be the first in one's family to be happy are so fundamental that each of us is able is pick off a piece of such longing to consume and reflect on.

"Paradise Dance" is an eclectic package of disparate characters brought to the edge by a handful of emotions. Where the hell is Albright , Massachusetts anyway?

Michael Lee all have in common? They all appear somewhere in Michael Lee's Paradise Dance. OK, OK, it's a stretch, but the facts are still darn impressive.
Carrol-(winner of National Book Award) wrote the foward to this book.
Dubus III and Mailer-Recommended the book on the book sleeve. So who is Michael Lee?

Michael is a talented author from Cape Cod, Massachusetts. His hard hitting and often humorous stories take place in the fictitious working class town of Albright, MA. One thing you should know is that people like the Clevers, the Andersons, the Bradys, the Wilsons, and the Partridge's don't appear in this collection. Certainly if they lived in Albright, you won't meet them in this excellant collection. The folks you meet in Albright are the regular, unhappy souls, he would find in any normal American working class town. You will find out their stories, their strange behaviors, their interesting hobbies (Adult XXX,mini-golf anyone?), and their deep dark wishes. The stories are well written, short, bittersweet and punchy. You get to know the people from Albright individually in each story, and then Lee will take you to the next scene, the next story. Using the town as the common thread works wonderfully here and in my humble opinion, Micheal Lee will be a man on the literary move, a force to be reckoned with.

The Coming Fury by Bruce Catton is one of the best Civil War books that I've read, and the second volume in his American Civil War Trilogy, Terrible Swift Sword, is even better. I can understand why these books have continued to be popular almost 50 years from when they were first published.

Terrible Swift Sword begins after the First Battle of Bull Run and runs through Antietam. With Bull Run, both sides realized that this was going to be a long-term, all out war and that there was no going back. Both sides also realized that they were woefully unprepared for what lay ahead. Catton is at his best in presenting not just the battles, but also the many other facets of the war (politics, leaders, etc.) in a way that is very informative yet easy to read. As for battles, Catton spends much time with Shiloh, the Peninsula Campaign, the Spring Campaigns of Kentucky and Tennessee, New Orleans and Second Bull Run. It is fascinating to read so much about the western campaigns. It seems that many Civil War books highlight the eastern campaigns (around Maryland and Virginia) at the expense of the western battles. Yet, it was the western campaigns that gave the Union a much-needed jumpstart in the war effort.

While Catton gives us a good bit of information, his analytical skills in tying it all together is second to none. In describing the first battle between the ironclads, he writes "When morning came, ironclad would fight ironclad...and every navy in the world would have to rebuild." He also analyzes how the very principles that brought about the Confederacy attributed to its downfall. "The Southern people might in truth be all fire and ardor, but they were bound by the rigid limits of the theorem on which they had seceded."

With two books down and one to go in The American Civil War Trilogy, I hate to see it come to an end. But Catton was prolific in his Civil War writing and I'll have to start reading some of his other Civil War works.

"Terrible Swift Sword" is the second volume of Bruce Catton's classic Centennial History of the Civil War. First published in 1963, the series remains highly worthwhile despite the inevitable advances in scholarship, thanks to Catton's superb presentation of the history of the Civil War as dramatic literature.

Catton, a journalist and public official before becoming an historian, has a remarkable gift for capturing both the very human leaders trapped in the fog of war at the center of events and the grander themes that drove events.

Much of the story arc of "Terrible Swift Sword" centers around the career of George B. McClellan, brought in to lead the Union Army of the Potomac after the fiasco of First Bull Run. McClellan rebuilds the Army and infuses it with spirit, yet proves reluctant to use it in battle. After much prompting from Lincoln, McClellan will take the Army of the Potomac south to Hampton Roads, there to begin a cautious assualt on Richmond from the East. The campaign eventually stalls before Richmond and the counterattack of Robert E. Lee's Army of Northern Virginia. The Army of the Potomac is ultimately withdrawn. McClellan will give way temporarily as senior Union General in the East to John Pope, who is promptly thrashed at Second Bull Run. McClellan returns to lead the Army of the Potomac to Antietnam in pursuit of Lee's Army. There, McClellan's lack of killer instinct allows Lee to escape with a tactical draw. McClellan's failure to use his superior numbers and position to destroy Lee or to pursue his battered army will finally take him out of the war.

Against the background of the toils of the Army of the Potomac are the steadily hardening attitudes toward the prosecution of the war. The recognition, especially in Congress and in the Lincoln Administration, that this conflict must become a war to the death leads to the Emancipation Proclamation and to a weeding of the ranks of general officers. Those perceived not to have their heart in the fight are soon removed, and some are made an example. The investigation of Union General Stone after the fiasco of Ball's Bluff is manifestly unfair to Stone, as is his imprisonment afterward; it is meant to be a warning to other generals. It is in this context that General Grant's hard-nosed campaigning in the West is noticed in Washington, D.C.

This book is highly recommended to students and fans of the Civil War. It continues to be a wonderful reading experience.

Just as Volumn 1, 'The Coming Fury' this is an amazing piece of work, Volumn 2, 'Terrible Swift Sword' that will capture you within its' pages. You will be taken through the escalation of the war. You will learn of the great as well as the poor decisions made by the governments of the Union as well as the Confederacy. You will learn just how close the war came to the involvment of the British government. This book ends around the last of the year 1862.
You will not be able to put it down and the only consolation to finishing this work is the fact that you can now start on Volumn 3, 'Never Call Retreat.'

Nearly 40 years after it was first published, Catton's "Terrible Swift Sword", the second book of his Civil War Centennial history, remains fresh. As he would do in all three volumes, Catton deftly weaves together the military, political, and social aspects of the war in a fashion that is not only readable, but positively lyrical in his use of language. He is, IMHO, at his poetic best in descibing the seismic shift in war aims, from a conflict to restore the union to one waged for human freedom.

Ably assisted by the research of E.B. Long, Catton makes good use of a wide range of sources in covering the period of the war from First Bull Run to just before the tragedy at Fredericksburg. While he doesn't break any new ground (that wasn't his intent), he provides the reader with a sweeping narrative of this critical period in our most traumatic conflict. Catton's trilogy is one of the best places to start if one is seeking an introduction to the Civil War. Buy it.

"The Terrible Swift Sword" continues Bruce Catton's journey through the Civil in this, the middle book in his trilogy. Covering the period from the summer of 1861 through the fall of 1862, Catton leads the reader through the military, political and social aspects of the war.

Here we meet Charles Francis Adams, American Ambassador in London as he maneuvers to maintain British neutrality while British cloth industry manufacturers and laborers scream for Southern cotton.

The story of the Eastern front in this book is essentially the story of the McClellan era. The close relationship between McClellan and the Army of the Potomac was a unique and mutual exchange of devotion and affection.

In the Western theatre, the reader studies the battles of Shiloh and others which led to the gradual deterioration of the Confederate position in the Western states.

One enticing feature about Catton's books is his talent for weaving the political aspects of the war into the story. In this book we see the gradual shift of Union War aims from that of preservation of the Union to preservation with Emancipation.

The investigation of McClellan's role is fascinating. I always knew that McClellan was the Democratic nominee for President in 1864. Catton relates how McClellan was a conservative Democrat even before the war. Catton portrays McClellan as leader of the opposition to the administration with the army of the Potomac as his instrument of power. The relationship between the Army and its general forced decisions regarding McClellan's tenure to be made against the back drop of the possibility that McClellan could lead his Army on Washington in an effort to seize control of the government during the prevailing unrest. Ultimately, the decline of the Conservative Democrats, whose goal was the preservation of both the Union and slavery, and the rise of the Pro-Emancipation forces combined to drive McClellan from command and made his removal possible.

This portrayal of McClellan as a leader of the opposition makes Lincoln's toleration of him contrast with President Polk's active efforts to prevent Whig generals, Zachary Taylor and Winfield Scott, from capturing Mexican War glory which could lead to political success. The later role of Gen. MacArthur as a defacto opposition leader during the Korean war also comes to mind (see my Amazon review of "American Caesar").

"The Terrible Swift Sword" continues the evolution of the war from a limited conflict in which the hope of reconciliation still burned, to an unavoidable, all consuming, fight to the death. The cause which brought about this change was the shift of war aims from mere preservation of the Union, which had a chance of success, to the aim of Emancipation. As the South could not accept Emancipation, the North became unable to accept anything less. This book is a worthy successor to "The Coming Fury" (see my Amazon review). I cannot wait to get into the final volume "Never Call Retreat".

Review of A Place for Theodore by Prudence Steiner The writing of history is difficult. If you're writing about someone or something already well known you face a hoard of kibitzers who question every statement that doesn't fit their preconceptions of the case. If you're writing about something unknown, well, where do you begin? How do you know what to look for? How do you know you have found everything? And how do you know how to organize what you do have? George Williams, in A Place for Theodore, has confronted both problems. Well-known is Charles William Eliot, President of Harvard, notable New Englander from a notable family. Loyal Harvard alumni and conventional historians of higher education already "know" all about him. Virtually unknown is Theodore Parkman, chemist, soldier, who was killed and, literally, lost in a small and complicated Civil War battle at Whitehall, North Carolina in 1862. The intersection of these two lives, the process by which Williams has accounted for what is known to have happened, his speculations about what might have happened and why, form the substance of this paperback (Holly Two Leaves Paperback, ISBN 0-9656484-0-0). Don't expect a tidy narrative. That's not how historians work. Pieces--letters, photos, newspaper clippings, old bullets, public proclamations and private denials--swim into the net or are dredged up from murky corners in an unsystematic way. With each new piece, historians must revise their first ideas about what happened, their earlier interpretations of the causes. Most published histories appear after years of research and speculation have refined and polished them into coherence. Williams has chosen another method. For the most part the book brings us the raw materials in a very rough chronological order. Facing pages may include the author's narrative, original materials, photos or diagrams, in an assemblage of elements that is hard for the casual reader to follow but that accurately and vividly evokes the very process by which historians gather and sort out information. Williams' favorite typographical elements seem to be the question mark and the italic; hardly a page appears without several of both. Ordinarily these devices raise suspicion: how much of this book is true? Why is the writer so insistent? Is he right? But this is not an ordinary book; in the best sense, it is not even a finished book. Rather, it shows the process of writing history, and leaves us, the readers, with a sense of the materials and an eagerness to push on, to learn more about Theodore Parkman and why historians are still looking for him. As a former teacher of research techniques, I commend A Place for Theodore to other teachers as well as to Civil War buffs. You may be irritated, you may disagree with the author's tone and conclusions, but Williams's book will give you an unusual collection of materials as well as valuable insights into the slipperiness of "facts." 12 November 1997

Everyone is aware of friendly-fire and "collateral" deaths in war. The Mai Lai massacre in Viet Nam is the most famous. Incidents from the Gulf War are still in the news. Did a President of Harvard help cover-up the death of a Harvard student? Major George Williams has written an interesting tale using historical documents and the soldier's perspective of war. This book is a unique look at an overlooked incident during America's Civil War.

Everyone is aware of friendly-fire and "collateral" deaths in war. The Mai Lai massacre in Viet Nam is the most famous. Incidents from the Gulf War are still in the news. Did a President of Harvard help cover-up the death of a Harvard student? Major George Williams has written an interesting tale using historical documents and the soldier's perspective of war. This book is a unique look at an overlooked incident during America's Civil War.

A Place for Theodore won a Willie Parker Peace History Book Award from The North Carolina Society of Historians on Nov. 1, 1997. Mr. L.G. Williams also won two other awards for associated projects.

Very detailed description of this battle with very thorough documentation. All of the pages of this inexpensive book were used to the fullest. I felt like I had gotten my moneys worth.Just like being there and some thought provoking conclusions were presented.

Obviously, the writer, director, actors, composer, and musicians are in total control of their craft. The Plimoth Adventure seems to be a work of art. The music is a special treat, with a recurring theme, and a feeling distantly reminiscent of Vaughan Williams' "A Sea Symphony," and having the catchy pop sensibilities of Monteverdi's "Vespro della Beata Vergine." The background effects ring true, and these include sounds of ransacking, rowing, water rushing, snapping fires, raising anchors, background conversation in a tavern, seagulls, cannon fire, and a scary thunderstorm. The story, as related by a lively dialogue, concerns efforts of the dissenters to escape to Holland, soldiers in Holland threatening the dissenters, commentary regarding 12 years in Holland, plans to move to Virginia, problems with the Speedwell leaking, attempts to fix the Speedwell, and commentary on where to land in America, e.g., how to avoid shoals. An amusing episode concerns a ship employee who wanted to throw all the dissenters overboard, who got sick onboard and died, and who himself was thrown overboard.

In school, I did not enjoy the chapters about the Pilgrims. They were dry and boring. But, in this show I learned that they really did some brave things and I am kind of proud of them. Americans rock and so did the pigrims at Plymouth rock! (get it?)

I have to admit that I am a real buff of historical fiction. While this tape is historically correct, it remains both exciting and fun. We listened to it over the Thanksgiving holiday, and must admit that it added terrifically to the mood. We all really enjoyed it.

I currently have two children that I am educating at home. There is a significant age spread between the two, but one thing is for certain, both really enjoyed this tape, and both learned allot. This audio tape told a very exciting story of the Pilgrims hardships prior to their sailing to the new world. While most of us know the basics, this tape covered more unknown details. It has a full cast and music score, with lots of sound effects to make it interesting, kind of like how old time radio shows did it. We highly recommend this tape for people who enjoy american history. I only wonder when the colonial radio will continue the story with another tape. It would be great to hear their version of the first thanksgiving and how Squanto effected the first settlement of Plymouth.

The writer, director, actors, composer, and musicians are in total control of their craft. The Plimoth Adventure seems to be a work of art. The actors are articulate, and it is easy to discern or understand every word. The music is a special treat, with a recurring theme, and a feeling distantly reminiscent of Vaughan Williams' "A Sea Symphony," and having the catchy pop sensibilities of Monteverdi's "Vespro della Beata Vergine." The background effects ring true, and these include sounds of ransacking, rowing, water rushing, snapping fires, raising anchors, background conversation in a tavern, seagulls, cannon fire, and a scary thunderstorm. The story, as related by a lively dialogue, concerns efforts of the dissenters to escape to Holland, soldiers in Holland threatening the dissenters, commentary regarding 12 years in Holland, plans to move to Virginia, problems with the Speedwell leaking, attempts to fix the Speedwell, and commentary on where to land in America, e.g., how to avoid shoals. An amusing episode concerns a ship employee who wanted to throw all the dissenters overboard, who got sick onboard and died, and who himself was thrown overboard.

Even though I'd never been to Cape Cod, I enjoyed the amusing stories captured in Shorr's little book "Provincetown".
It was particularly delightfull when I did visit the cape to have,to the amazement of the "locals",so much local knowledge, that in many cases, they themself did not hold. The stories in "P-town" truely capture the flavor and uniqueness of that little town on a hook shaped sandy spit in the Atlantic.

I recently visited Cape Cod for a week, staying in Provincetown. I happened upon this book during a visit to a Borders in Hyannis. Breezing through it, it sounded interesting, and I was glad I had decided to pick it up. I read the book nightly during the visit, and it was perfect timing.

Exploring for a couple of days previously, I had already familiarized myself with the lay of the land. Delving into the book, I learned some interesting tidbits of history and specific areas of town that I had bypassed without giving a second glance. Knowing their significance, I went back to see some places/things I may otherwise not have, had I not learned their historical significance.

My only disappointment with the book was that it didn't have more stories about pre-1900 P-town, as these were the eras of Provincetown that truly fascinated me. Otherwise, this book not only proved to provide history presented in interesting stories, but it also proved to be an invaluable travel guide during my visit! A must for any P-town visitor!

I've been going to Cape Cod for a gazillion years and thoughtI knew just about all the stories hidden up Provincetown's sleeve. How wrong I was. Ms. Shorr's breezy book offers a wealth of stories I had never known and was delighted to hear. Her easy style combined with well-researched facts makes for delightful story-telling. Reading her book is like sitting at the dining table late into the night with a new best friend who is spinning tales of their life. You know you should go to bed but you don't want to miss one word.

What a wonderful book. What a terrific read. Shorr succeeds in giving a marvelous sense of place and history to those who already know Provincetown and also introducing it to those who've never been there. Even if you thought you knew Provincetown, this book will make it new for you. It is filled with things you never knew, clarifies vague things you'd thought you'd heard, and explains why Provincetown remains one of the most mythic and well-loved places in the country. The book is filled with the same kind of quirky humor and good spirits that so many of us associate with the town itself. Lost and lots of fun. Thoughtful, well-written, funny, engaging. A perfect little book.

This may be a small book of only 128 pages, but it is a "Treasure Chest of Information". This is a collection of true stories about one of America's greatest towns. If you have ever had an interest in this unique town, whether as a historian, visitor, or a resident, you will love these fascinating, sometimes humorous, stories taken from the town memoirs. Kathy Shorr has created a delightful book covering the history of "Provincetown", Land's End", during the Eighteenth, Nineteenth and Twentieth Centuries.

The author writes about the settlers who first landed in Provincetown in 1620, (not in Plymouth, as commonly believed), the floating of the houses from Long Point, the first Town Crier, the birth of the Art Colony, the building of the Pilgrim Monument, the Rose Dorothea, and the birth of The Cape Cod National Seashore. In later chapters, she touches on the "Meat Rack", Spiritus, Hurricane Bob, the yearly Carnival, and the Blessing of the Fleet. Interspersed throughout the book are appropriate illustrations by Anne Rosen relating to each story. Shorr writes these stories in an intelligent, exciting, and fun manner that make this book a gratifying and enjoyable read.

This book should not be missed if you have an interest and curiosity about this town at "Land's End". I wish this book was getting the fanfare that other "Provincetown" books are receiving. This book is very special, and I feel one of the best books published about this town. You should not miss this book. A special book about a very special place!

Joe Hanssen

This book grabbed me by the heart strings and didn't let go. The story is hilarious and bittersweet. The main characters come to life and become a part of you while you are reading this. It took me three nights to read and I had that anticipation building to get back to it to find out what's next for Johnny Boy, Audrey, Frances and Rainy et al. There are a gazillion characters in this book. That is not a detriment, they all have their place and are also vividly fleshed out. The only reason this was not a five star review for me was because I started getting a little weary of the extremely goofy names everyone possessed. I know it's meant to be humorous but I think the tactic went a little too far. That is just a personal opinion. Read this book - you'll be glad you did!

P.S. I found myself wondering if John Dufresne had ever lived in Western MA, which is where I live. Some of the people and places described were eerily familiar to me.

John Dufresne's new book is remarkable for its courage and its ability to find humor in emotionally harrowing situations.

What impressed me most was Dufresne's ability to evoke the way memory works, the kinds of associations we make when we return to ground we first covered thirty or forty years ago. The kind of deep dive in which "Whatever happened to..." becomes "Who was the guy..." which begets "Remember the time..?" And as we settle back into the past, into the life we knew, the life that formed us, the weight of those associations and the cross-connects between them build a scaffold that supports and informs and in many ways explains who we have become. Dufresne conveys this on the page better than anyone working today.

And, good Lord, what a cast. This is Frank Capra with a nasty hangover-- imagine a Bedford Falls in which Uncle Billy is the normal one. Like Capra, Dufresne loves these people and makes you care about and respect them. Unlike Capra, he doesn't get all sentimental about it.

I've had the privilege of listening to John Dufresne talk about writing, and he is always informative and inspiring. I prefer reading him.

I opened this book to three different places at random,and I laughed out loud each time. "Requiem, Mass." is hilarious and brilliant, with great emotional depth -- John Dufresne at his best!

Rebecca Emerick

Absolutely brilliant, as we can expect from John Dufresne, and to the other two positive reviews, I might add "Me, too! Me, too!"

A previous novel of Dufresne's, Deep in the Shade of Paradise, also dealt with memory in an in-depth way, but in "Requiem", he gives us the added gift of a seed of doubt in the narrator's truthfulness, which has the effect of creating a compelling dissonance for the rest of the ride. The final chapter is a speculative conclusion, three years hence, and it is an unexpected device that serves the narrative well. Dufresne's Johnny has grown up with the notion that parallel existences are necessary to achieve happiness, and that notion serves him to the end.

John Dufresne first captivated me with "Louisiana Power & Light," leading me to seek out all of his fictional offerings, as I will continue to do for the rest of ever. Ten thumbs up. :-)

Childhood, heartbreak, mental illness, infidelity, roadtrips, hope, tragedy, dysfunction, identity, religion, physics, personal history...you name it and John Dufresne has jammed it into this wise and wistful novel about Johnny, an adolescent struggling to keep his family together. There's comedy too, sure. Readers always remark on Dufresne's sly wit, his ability to create memorable characters living in bizarre circumstances, his chronicling of dark secrets. But Dufresne's humor is more in the tradition of Saul Bellow than Don Rickles: the inevitable result of complex, deep pain -- often self-inflicted -- rather than an overt tickling of your funny bone.

And the prose! Man, can Dufresne WRITE. Every page offers rich rewards for those who love inspired, unaffected sentences. Check out this doozy of a passage from page 100:

"But I was still writing [...] in the morning, even after I'd changed pens, drunk a pot of coffee, switched ink from black to peacock blue, walked around the block, seen the sunrise, put away the Office Depot tablet and the used the Evidence-brand tablet. So I stopped writing and read an essay on Atlantic salmon by Edward Behr. The author was visiting salmon farms along the Bay of Fundy in New Brunswick. I came to the clause, 'we drove a few minutes along the unspoiled shore,' and I suddenly saw very clearly from his road an unmentioned whitewashed house at the top of a treeless hill overlooking a rocky, wave-tossed cove, and I realized that I had been there, and I knew what Behr did not, that the house, long abandoned by its family, had been converted to a restaurant, and I remembered the dark and rusted interior, the cozy bar, the linen tablecloths on the pine tables in the two small dining rooms, one a step higher than the other, the print of Theodore Rousseau's 'Market in Normandy' over the mantel, a crackling fire in the fireplace, the fragrance of cedar logs."

In a few brief strokes, through a balance of carefully chosen details and honest introspection, Dufresne captures everything that this book's about: frustration, storytelling, struggle, imagination, sensory engagement, memory, searching, travel, correcting, connecting, and the quest for comfort.

I can't recommend this book enough. When you're finished and have fallen in love with the narrator Johnny (and the author John), I strongly suggest you check out his wonderful short story collection "Johnny Too Bad."

If you have a fee day, you can plan a mini vacation Right Here. No need for long drives or plane rides. Liz Nelson has managed to do all the planning, gather the important ingormation, and entice us to explore our own back yard. It was so nice to find a book I can use as a refrence for trips and activities in the North Shore area. It's a great book to pull out when planning weekend entertainment for out of town friends and relatives, and it is a perfect idea generator for those days when the kids think there is 'nothing to do."

When I travel I always plan ahead and study the areas I visit. Unfortunately, when I am at home, I never take the time to do the research. Now, the work has been done for me, so if I want to have a fun local adventure I have everything I need Right Here.

Whether you are new to the area north of Boston or a long time resident, you will find Liz Nelson's Right Here an invaluable guide to reservations,historic sites, museums, parks, bike paths, walks and more. I recommend it enthusiastically to our visitors of all ages and use it myself. Although I have lived north of Boston for 40 years, I have learned a lot from Right Here, and it provides visitors to the Salem Witch Museum with a wide variety of travel opportunities north of Boston. An excellent collection! Alison D'Amario, director of education, Salem Witch Museum, Salem, Massachusetts

I've lived in this area for 10 years and have barely begun to scratch the surface of all the region has to offer. Liz Nelson's little book is now my official personal guidebook to the historic and adventure-filled Massachusetts north shore.

The places she takes me to visit range from the extraordinary (quirky historic homes with unusual architecture and jaw-dropping memorabilia) to the serene (quiet walks amid sea spray roses in search of eagles and seals) to the ridiculous (snow tubing down a ten-story-high hill of ice!?!) to the adventuresome (whale watching!) So no matter what my mood, no matter what the season, I can find a day trip that's just right.

And no matter who accompanies me, from my 85-year-old mother, to my adventuresome outdoor-loving friends, to visiting cousins and their kids, we can always find a suitable jaunt "Right Here"!

I especially appreciate the TRIP TIPS -- complete and thorough driving directions, details about admission fees, where to park, and how much time to allow to thoroughly enjoy each place -- even helpful little hints such as "Disregard the 'Private Road' sign."

The best part of this little book, however, is the way it's written. Because Liz Nelson writes as though she's in the middle of her own exploration of each place, it's as though you are being accompanied by your own personal, not to mention observant and wryly amusing, tour guide.

Whether you're a visitor to northern New England or a seasoned resident, you can't go wrong with this little book. All the locations are easy driving day trips whether you're coming from Portland, Maine; the Concord or Manchester, New Hampshire areas; or from Boston.

This little book gives detailed and exciting information about the historic significance and the great beauty of 52 important and interesting places near Boston. It is especially valuable for nature lovers, and all of the trips described are suitable for children as well as for adults who would like to know this lovely area better.

I've lived in this area for 20 years, and love all the local activities that there are, but when I picked up this book at the local bookstore, I realized that I hadn't heard of most of the places Liz Nelson wrote about! I visited a few of them, and they are all amzing! Whenever I'm looking for something to do in the area, or a family activity, I pick up Right Here to see what else there is to be discovered! Great Book!

"... a great pleasure to read, even if you're not looking for a place to stay. You can feel the authors were bent on romance... not just filling up the book. Accommodations are described in charming detail, also meals, with the occasional recipe. If you contemplate a getaway in new England, this is the book to take along." Travel Writer Marketletter

"[The] captivating prose invokes the spirit and visual appeal of the places described. [The book] provides perfect fodder for couples [and is] an indispensable planning assistant." About.com

"Where to eat, where to stay and what to do are covered. The Foulkes also throw in tidbits such as tasty regional recipes, a bit of poetry by Emerson and a love letter by Nathaniel Hawthorne." Chicago Daily Herald

This is far more comprehensive than other books in this area -- it's well written and the layout made it easy and a pleasure to read. The recipes and maps made it practical and much more interesting than a typical travel book.

A selection of recommended inns, delightful restaurants, resorts, festivals, the best places to stroll together under the stars or have a secluded champagne picnic - the most romantic places. This book visits special spots in in Maine, Massachusetts, Connecticut, Rhode Island, New Hampshire and Vermont. Each place has been carefully selected, making sure that it offers something special - in-room fireplaces, four-poster beds, Jacuzzis, enchanting gardens, five-star cuisine.

I teach Pre-K, and used this book along with other books by Kate Waters (The Mayflower,Sarah Morton's Day, and Tapenum's Day)to teach my November unit on the Pilgrims and the Native Americans. The photographs, which I primarily used, are an excellent source for my young students to visualize how things were. (I also left them in our library to look at at their leisure.) The text, which is understandable for this age, was a bit long for them to sit for during circle time. However, I wish I had these books when my own children were younger, because they would have had no trouble listening to them one on one. I remember how excited my children were when learning of this era. These books would have been some of their favorites, and I highly recommend them.

I used this book as part of the third grade curriculum. We are studying Massachusetts History. This book and its partner books about Sarah Morton, a Pilgrim Girl and Tapenum a Wampanoag Indian boy were excellent!!
The texts and pictures were well researched and presented. Plymouth Plantation and the reenactors there provide an authentic setting. Homes, clothing, work and play of children during this period are acurately shown. These books should be in every school library.

I am continually amazed at how children's books offer detail and insight into daily life that no stout history book can provide.

Writing the same review for the other two in this trilogy. Excellent all!

This is a wonderful, wonderful book. It will help you teach your children about hard work, perseverance, and family. My children want it read to them again and again.

Young Samuel Eaton (a historical character) is looking forward to his first chance to help his father bring in the crops. He finds the work incredibly hard, and the coarse grain raises bad blisters on his hands. But he perseveres, and at the end of the day when his father tells him "you did a man's work today, Samuel," we feel his pride.

Masterfully written, beautifully photographed, this is a gem in every way.

This book took us back to 1627. We learned all about Samuel Eaton's first day as a man. He told us all about the hard work he had to do in the fields. It was so interesting to read a story that used different words from long ago. The pictures were awesome! They showed us the clothing the pilgrims wore, what their house looked like, and the hard work everybody did. We thought it would be difficult to be a pilgrim boy! We think everyone should read this book because you can learn a lot about how the pilgrims lived. Read this wonderful book!

After my grandaughter received "Hey Willie, see the Pyramids" as a gift, we became fascinated with Maira Kalman's books. Our most recent acquisition is Sayonara Mrs. Kackleman. The naive illustrations are wonderful and plentiful enough to spend a good amount of time on each page. We like to fill in the thoughts of all the characters. This has been her "bedtime book of choice" for quite a while now. We now dream of going to Pajan to see the Japansneeze!

Maira Kalman does a wonderful job of capturing her reader's imagination and eye. She has a very playful graspe of the English language. Her style is envigorating. Children and adults are captivated by the rhythmic storytelling. The colorful illustrations make it hard to turn the pages while the text spurs the reader on to do just that. This is an entirely delightful children's book that will give readers the travel bug.

Maira Kalman has captured the best selling points of Japan.
We have lived in Kyoto for 8 years. My husband is Japanese, and I'm American. We're raising our "doubles" (dual nationals)over here. "Sayonara Mrs. Kackleman" is our kids' ultimate favorite book, and they laugh and laugh when I read "Pajan" or they call them "Japansneeze" and "Hey Hiroko...are you loco?" The author writes about the precious things that we wish we could preserve over here. Sadly, the traditional culture is being replaced with the younger generation's obsession with character goods, shopping for horrendously overpriced luxury goods, overwork, porn DVDs in vending machines, McDonalds in every neighborhood. Kalman writes about Japan in the 80s, I think. It has changed a lot in 25 years, so the things she recorded in her book are all the more dear to me. The humor, the illustrations and the fact that she chose this country have turned me into fan.
When we go back to the States I check out all her books from the library, so we can read them as often as we do at home.

This is a story about two kids who take a trip to Japan. The writing style is really humorous, and yet it is not not silly. It uses puns and a wonderful descriptive style in ways that are really original. My son (age 3) really enjoys this story, and so do his older cousins. The illustrations are also interesting and fun to look out. This is a good book to read out loud at bedtime.

From the subway that "smoothed into the station" to all the exotic Japanese meals, this fantasy trip of two kids to Japan is just inspiring. I find myself as delighted and laughing as my kids. Having falling totally in love with Ms. Kalman's words and images I'm off in search of more!