Maine Books

I used this novel with my high school English class last fall. I teach in an urban environment where kids are reluctant to read, period. But I found that the students were REALLY into it. I had students who I suspect never read, reading it and telling me so. They kept saying, all year, "can't we read another novel like Mollyockett?".

It is told in flashback by the title character, Mollyockett, a medicine woman/weaver/wanderer, the last of her nation, the Peqwackets. She tells the story to a young English settler, Sarah. As she loses strength, Sarah tends to her and listens to her stories. For the most part, she tells the story chronologically... and she has an interesting life. Pat Stewart weaves the stories together seemlessly so that nothing seems forced or strange. If anything, she makes the reader want to know more about the real story.

We were lucky to be able to host the author at our school and she captivated the kids. Mostly, they wanted to know about Native American Medicine practices, since they were studying that as part of their unit, but many wanted to know how she actually wrote the story; she told them about the process of researching the history and making up parts she didn't know about. I still think some of the students had a hard time realizing that the story was based on the life of a real person!

It is rare to find historical, fictionalized accounts of Native Americans, and even rarer to find ones about Abenaki or any other New England Native American groups.

Anyway, I highly recommend this novel to teachers to use in their classrooms, but also to anyone who likes historical "fiction"... uhm, fictionalized history?

Basically, when we read fiction (or as in this case, fictionalized history), we want a story...the kind of story that in early times would have kept us listening to the storyteller until the tale was completely told. Pat Stewart's device, letting Mollyockett, the last of the Pequawkets, tell the story of her long life in the white man's world is just this kind of tale. It is clear that the author has carefully researched the life and times of her real-life character and that Mollyockett's story is based in fact. However, by taking some poetic license Stewart has been able to breathe life into Mollyockett, going beyond the facts and fleshing out the personal qualities and skills of this unusual woman. The result is a series of well-told tales that are revealing of both the storyteller's life and character, informative of the Native American history of New England, and revealing of the ambiguity of the French and Indian Wars. Avoiding the pitfalls of using any vernacular, Stewart has Mollyockett speak clear, almost poetic language. A storyteller herself, Stewart has faithfully produced a character that spins her own stories with a compelling, yet gentle voice that absorbs the reader. I recommend this book to readers of all ages who like good stories about real people and events that really happened.

In just 163 pages, Pat Stewart tells the story of Mollyockett, an Abenaki Indian woman who lived most of her life in the hilly country of western Maine. (Or, rather, bedridden in her final days and hours, Mollyocket tells her own story to a ficticious young gift descended from one of Andover, Maine's, first settlers).
What a remarkable story she tells--a tale of the struggle between native people and settlers, a story of this strong woman's own deep apirituality and faith.
Even the book design is distinctive, modeled after a purse which Mollyockett wove and which now belongs to the Maine Historical Society.
I recommend this slim, creative and engaging book as a fine way to meet one of our country's native ancestors.

I bought this book for my sister-in-law before she moved to Maine. We all skimmed through it and aquired lots of new information. I am sure that she will glean very valuable information as she starts her life in the great state of Maine.

I found this book to be extremely helpful and it had answers to many questions I had about Maine. The information was very through and covered all bases. The author addressed taxes, renting, housing, shopping, schools, and other important information. I really enjoyed this book.

MOVING TO MAINE is a great book for relocators that non-relocators can also enjoy. It describes the school systems, weather, housing, and other necessities that people moving there need to know, but it also describes, shopping, cultural, and dining experiences that a vacationer can take advantage of. Whether you're actually relocating to Maine, going on vacation there, or are simply interested in travel books, you should own this book.

Motavalli has created a wonderful interpretive picture of the media and public reactions to a great story in early 20th Century America. He puts the reader in the period, but brings us in contact with our ancestors and shows that we haven't progressed in terms of our love for the spectacular stunt! Joseph Knowles exploits thrilled the nation longing for a free show. Not unlike the infamous OJ low speed chase that captivated us a while back.

A good story, a wonderful interpretation and a great read!Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery

Never have I read a more fascinating account of salesmenship in America. As a nation the US prides itself on our frontier heritage,the quest for individuality & independence,& the pursuit of an ideal existence in harmony with nature, & making a few bucks along the way. This is a true American story !
This book Kept Me In Stitches !!!

We are often told that our nation, especially our menfolk, are getting soft, that we don't have the ruggedness of our forebears, that we spend too much time in our cities and not enough back to the land, and that as a result we are losing some moral anchor which used to hold us in good stead. The trouble is that we have been told this for at least a hundred years, probably further back than that, and the message has not changed much, although it is a message that is enthusiastically boosted by many. Our coddled and citified society went faddishly berserk in 1913 for a man who simply went into the woods of Maine, vowing to stay there for two months on his own, unassisted by any technology. Joseph Knowles was a sensation at the time, now forgotten. His astonishing story is the subject of _Naked in the Woods: Joseph Knowles and the Legacy of Frontier Fakery_ (Da Capo Press) by Jim Motavalli. The author, a journalist who writes on environmental themes, has picked from obscurity a wonderful subject, not just Knowles but also the anxiety we tend to have that we are out of touch with natural life.

Knowles was all of 43 years old when he went into the woods. He had been a sailor, trapper, and scout, but what he wanted to be was an artist. He had some untutored skill in painting, and was making sketches and paintings in Boston for a decade when he got the idea (perhaps in a dream) to go support himself in the woods. The _Boston Post_, always ready for a circulation gimmick, was ready to back him. "Can Knowles Live Two Months as a Cave Man?" came the headlines, and though the paper hyped the event, people were sincerely interested in the man-against-the-wilderness theme. Knowles was photographed and interviewed, and given a physical exam before trotting off to the woods in nothing but a g-string. When he emerged from the woods two months later, he had lost weight, but he was no longer naked, wearing birch sandals and the skin of a bear he had trapped and killed. He had caught the national spirit; he was viewed as a hero, awing crowds wherever he went. The bitter rival of the _Post_, the Hearst-owned _Boston Sunday American_, got onto the Knowles bandwagon by debunking it. Knowles, according to the revision, had spent two months in a log cabin with food (and even female companionship) delivered to him. Knowles had a couple of other wilderness trips, and then went on the lecture circuit and wrote a back-to-nature book about his experiences as the "Nature Man". The last third of _Naked in the Woods_ has mostly to do with his painting career; he did commissioned murals and small-scale calendar art.

Knowles died in 1942. His artwork is still collected by some, and the Ilwaco Heritage Museum had a retrospective last year. We still have the Nature Man with us, in the form of "Survivor"-type television shows. Going wilderness is the show for Bear Grylls, who has starred in the British program _Man vs. Wild_, and who last year underwent a Knowles-type debunking for spending his nights in cozy hotels rather than in the wild where he was assumed to be keeping himself. Motavalli has a wonderful time with this story, and presents it in all its humorous aspects, but finds something serious in what Knowles had to tell us then and now: "He may have been at least partly a fraud, but he was nonetheless successful in communicating a powerful and useful message to an anxiety-stricken age."

Reading this book is like having coffee with a sagacious friend who is relating the experience of losing a spouse. One truly cannot put it down once started. Brave emotions are so eloquently expressed by Graves in her writing.

The author brings us effortlessly along on her personal journey of love, life and death; generously sharing her private thoughts and spiritual experiences along the way. I was mesmerized by the drama and pathos of this heartfelt and beautifully written story. The poetry provides respite and further insight, a gift--much to learn and ponder here.

A most touching and poignant story, sensitively written with compassion and insight. Difficult, but necessary, lessons for us all to learn in the face of personal loss. A beautiful work by a beautiful soul.

This book has so much to offer the Youth Worker and Professional person in giving insight into ways to deal with young people and the feeling that also affect you when dealing with young people in crisis

As a parent of two ADHD children, I found this book to be a milestone as a common sense approach to dealing with troubled kids. Appelstein shares his wealth of experience in working with children from the inside of the parent out. I have already found his insight to be invaluable.

Whether you are a professional or parent, you will benefit from the insight and pracitcal techniques Charlie Appelstein provides in "No Such Thing as a Bad Kid." Appelstein combines research, experience, and humor in this marvelous work on how to help kids grow and manage their problems. It is hard to believe that a book that is so easy and fun to read could be so helpful. As a therapist and staff development trainer in a residential treatment setting, I use the concepts and techniques in this book EVERY day.

Great pictures of a Maine Lighthouse taken by someone who lived next to the structure for many years.

(From Tena Wallace) This book is absolutely amazing and that descriptive word doesn't even compare to the reality of the pictures and entries of your book. I don't think I have EVER read something and felt the emotion like I did with these entries. To read and feel the sandess, heartache, the joy and excitement along with the horror is the most amazing reader experience.
This book makes a great gift, it's not a one time read, it is a book to be enjoyed over and over!

In 1987, Thomas and Lee Szelog were two lighthouse enthusiasts who visited a series of Main shoreline beacons for their second date. Two years later (and now married) they moved into the lightkeeper's house at the Marshall Point Lighthouse in Port Clyde, Maine. Tom kept a journal, as did Lee. Tom is also an award-winning photographer. Drawing from those journals and Tom's gift for photography, the wrote and illustrated "Our Point Of View: Fourteen Years At A Maine Lighthouse" in which they share their experiences, excitement, and pleasures of living at a lighthouse in every season and through all manner of weather. They even celebrate the gulls, cormorants, whales, seals who turn up at their door, as well as the people meeting and marrying in the shadow of their lighthouse beacon. Simply put, "Our Point Of View" is a joy to read and a 'must' for anyone who has ever wondered what it would be like to live in a lighthouse in our day and age.

Charmingly written by Ethel Pochocki, A Penny For A Hundred is an engaging story for young readers about a nine-year-old girl growing up in America in 1944. When German prisoners-of-war are brought in to help harvest a potato crop, she befriends one of them in this gentle tale of compassion and hope for the future. Very highly recommended reading, A Penny For A Hundred is illustrated in soft colors by Mary Beth Owens that are evocative and reminiscent of an earlier time.

This book is a wonderful book which shows that not all POW's were bad during WWII. The book shows the warm heart of a child who befriends a POW...This is an excellent book!

Maine's Aroostook County is a special place. Some would say it's America "uncut diamond" for culture, history, sense of place, family and heritage. This distinctive culture was even more pronounced before the advent of television during World War II. A Penny for a Hundred is a charming story based upon a historical account of how World War II German prisoners of war were temporarily settled in this rural area of Maine. Author Ethel Pochocki teaches readers about the nature of forgiveness. This is a marvelous lesson for today's young people who hear about so much violence throughout the world today. Pictures are by Mary Beth Owens. There's also a neat surprise at the end, a recipe for German Stollen. Terrific Holiday gift for children and adults as well.

What an entertaining book! Believable, down-to-earth characters with real-world problems. The story is balanced with humor, strength and a positive outlook. I couldn't put it down.

My take on this book is that it can easily be made into a screenplay. I can see this story on the big screen. The Hammond sisters & their friend, Gabby, run a romantic adventure dating service, with their own love stories unfolding along the way. Toss in a hunky pirate for comic relief. Definitely, the makings of a good date movie. Pirate Shirt Dot Com held my interest from cover to cover.

I happened to get this title as a Christmas present and, though I am not usually a fan of romance novels, I decided to give it a shot. What a fun surprise! Witty, delightful, and sexy, this book simultaneously evokes romance novel archetypes and pokes a little fun at them at well. I hope there is a sequel!

The true story of a cop who knew too much.
1978 hardcover. 311 page published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
Author's note: All of the events depicted in this book are a matter of factual record, and the people are real. No names have been chenged. The dialogue has either been taken from concealed tape recordings made at the time the events took place or been carefully reconstructed through interviews with the participants.

Prince Of The City: The True Story Of A Cop Who Knew Too Much is the dramatic true story of Detective Robert Leuci, a deep cover sleuth who assembled corruption cases against lawyers, bail bondsmen, mob figures, and even some of his own, putting his own life in peril for the sake of law and justice. Written in the style of a novel, Prince Of The City offers an unflinchingly honest portrait of the rigors of policework, the toll it can take, and the horrors it encounters all too often. An introduction by Rudolph Giuliani rounds out this mesmerizing chronicle of courage and duty.

This is a dazzling work of nonfiction that traces the story of Robert Leuci, a young detective with the New York City Police Department who came to a crossroads in his life and found himself confronted with whom he had become and, apparently, did not like what he saw. As a team leader in the elite and now defunct Special Investigations Unit (SIU) of the Narcotics division during the late nineteen sixties and early seventies, Leuci was involved in many large narcotics takedowns and, consequently, the corruption that then often ensued.

In early 1971, Leuci was called to appear before the Commission to investigate Alleged Police Corruption, which was known as the Knapp Commission. Although the commission had no evidence of wrongdoing by Leuci, it had called him in to ask about some of the detectives that he had worked with in SIU. Leuci, at the time, refused to give up his fellow officers, claiming that the whole criminal justice arena, including the lawyers and the courts, were corrupt. Leuci was interviewed by Nicholas Scoppetta, a former Manhattan Assistant District Attorney with the Knapp Commission (and now the current New York City Fire Department Commissioner). After interviewing him, Scoppetta decided to leave the Knapp Commission and persuaded the federal government to undertake a probe into the entire criminal justice system of New York City with Detective Robert Leuci as its linchpin, an investigation that the federal government agreed to undertake.

The book details Detective's Leuci's personal exploits, as he fearlessly helped the federal government make its cases against lawyers, bail bondsmen, and other cops. For years, Leuci walked a fine line, continuing his work as a NYPD detective while working as a confidential informant for the feds, often at great risk to his life. The details of his exploits are riveting, as they expose the seamy side of a criminal justice system that, at the time, was truly corrupt at so many levels. Moreover, Leuci's personal angst in trying to keep his detective friends from becoming embroiled in the investigation is palpable throughout the book, as is Leuci's innate sense of fair play.

Leuci himself had previously been on the take, a fact of which the feds were aware. It was the extent to which Leuci had been on the take that the Feds were unaware. Leuci's perfidy was not revealed in its entirety until the government had made many arrests, grand juries had handed down indictments, and defendants had been tried and convicted. Leuci had worked with Rudolf Giuliani, who was then a young Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of the State of New York. It was to Giuliani that Leuci eventually unburdened himself. I have to commend Giuliani for the compassion that he extended to Leuci, a man who was clearly on the verge of a nervous breakdown after leading a double life for years and who, for so long, had internalized his anxiety over his own and his friends' involvement in the corruption that was at the heart of the investigation.

This is a well-written and moving true story of a cop who knew too much and was eventually made to sing. This is a great book upon which the wonderful, gritty film, "Prince of the City", starring Treat Williams, was based. Those who are interested in the criminal justice arena or are cop buffs will especially enjoy this book, as well as the film. Bravo!

In the literary genre' of romantic mysteries this is certainly a winner. "A Rocky Path" does an excellent job of combining both a gentle yet torrid love story with a thrilling and creative plot line. With lot's of metaphysical pizzazz and characters that you will come to love, this book is a wonderful addition to its class. I will wait eagerly for the next book by author Lauralynn Elliott.

A Rocky Path is a delightful read by a new author. Ms. Elliot tells of new beginnings for Emily Adams in Maine. A new job, new surroundings, and a new interest find Emily with more complications than any one person should handle. Throw in the forbidden love of a mysterious man to the mix and Emily's life almost goes on tilt.
Ms. Elliot writes a love story with complications and background to keep the reader interested and turning pages to see how many new twists her subject gets to face. Her description of Maine, the house, and Emily's surroundings place the reader in the center of the action and keep them reading for the finish. I am looking forward to the next book from this author.

This is a really great book from a new author. There are quite a few surprises revealed that you wouldn't think would be in the story (not goint to spoil it for you here, you'll have to read it)! I hope to read more by this author soon.