Maine Books

"Dinnie" Thorndike, ex-diary farmer and town selectman, also book writer, has written about a type of motorboat she likes. She and husband Phil bought one, a "lobster yacht" they named Sea Smoke. In it they cruised Maine waters and saw other lobsterboats and, about the same time, the urge to write about what she was seeing snuck up on her and she had to start writing. (This happens to us writers. Can't help it.) The book is the result.

Don't expect a scholarly epistle on the origins of lobsterboats and their evolution although Dinnie somehow includes an awful lot of such information. Nope, this book is what its title says it is-a series of lively interviews with those that design, build, operate, and race lobsterboats (race as in "up to 55 mph"). She gets people talking, she listens, she remembers, and it all goes down on paper so pat and smooth I can but envy her skill.

A chapter may be the result of talking to one person. Old-timers Leroy Dodge, and George Allen. Designers Arno Day and Spencer Lincoln. Builders-in-wood Peter Kass and Dick Pulsifer of Hampton Boat fame. Builders-in-fiberglass like the Young Brothers. Lobsterboat racers like Gweeka Williams and the Holland Family. (Did you know that Maine lobsterboats were invaluable support vessels in the unsuccessful effort to defend the America's Cup at San Diego in 1995? One was the famed racing lobsterboat Red Baron, which was used as a weather boat.)

Or a chapter may be Dinnie's assemblage of facts and stories about a subject. Rum-running. Old-time "fishing" (meaning lobstering). Lobsterboat superstitions. Lobsterboats as water taxis and tugs. Lobsterboats as valued family pleasure boats. Lobsterboats seining, hand-lining, gill-netting, and even lobstering.

Dnnie keeps up an easy flow of quotes, stories, facts, and fun. I highly recommend this book if only for the pleasure the reader will get from watching a very good writer stoutly march through a subject.

Informative and entertaining with local flavor from the men who build lobsterboats and fish them. Enjoyed it.

I wish the author had spent more time to the east of Penobscot Bay. With her repeated references to the designers and builders of Beals Island and Jonesport, I felt she should have spent more time there than she did. Interestingly, the oft heard complaint about the impact the modern, fast designs have had on the traditional good looks of the Maine lobsterboat seem to have come from those designers and builders whose boats don't make the "cut" at the seven-event lobsterboat race series held though out the summer along the Maine coast.

A better read than expected but not as complete as I'd hoped for.

Thorndike has assembled a thoroughly engrossing collection of solid information, individual viewpoints, opinions and tall tales about the Maine lobsterboat told in their own words by the people who know and love them best. Each interview unveils the character of the individual as well as the boats they talk about. Downeast life on the water comes alive in the droll understated humor that is their characteristic means of expression. The book is pure pleasure.

I have struggled through, and sometimes tossed aside, too many mysteries this summer written in first person and with/or a definite occupational slant, ie, herb growing, cooking, quilting, etc. The other end of the spectrum has gratuitous violence.

Despite the title, this is not a particularly "occupational" mystery. The characters are not petulant and temper prone, but rather, interesting and caring.

The plot is rather twisted and convoluted, and although the denouement seems clear at one point, there is one last twist in it.

Hopefully, this is the beginning of a series.

Excellent read. Can't wait for more about this fascinating older sleuth.

Reading this book reminds me of reading Nancy Drew mysteries as a girl. That young sleuth was just like me and I was just like her. (At least, I would have been like her if my parents were as lenient as hers were!) The gardening, composting sleuth of The Maine Mulch Murder is just as credible. It is a rare treat to find such a familiar sleuth. Not only are the gardening details correct, but Amy's attitudes, habits, schedule, and other life details blend with integrity. She utilizes her practical reasoning skills, honed through gardening, to solve this murder. I really enjoyed it. [I would suggest that you NOT read the inside book flap. It told me too much about plot details. I think the story would be better if some of those facts weren't revealed until the book content reveals them.]

This was a delightful and quick mystery to read....which makes it ideal for an afternoon at the beach. The main character is a delighful 60 year old lady gardener who turns sleuth when she finds a body and becomes determined to find the killer. Along the way she reunites with an old flame and what happens next requires actually reading the book. The ending is possibly predictable depending perhaps on the number of mysteries you've read. But overall it was well worth an afternoon of relaxing reading.

Although the villain was incredibly easy to spot from the first chapter, I enjoyed this installment of the "Home Repair is Homicide" series very much. What puzzled me greatly, however, was the resurrection of a deceased character from "Wicked Fix." In that book, Wesley "Weasel" Bodine meets an untimely end; two books later, he's not only back among the living, he's behind the wheel of a large truck vigorously pursuing Jacobia! That brisk Eastport air must have remarkable restorative powers. Still, a fun read, as always.

Jake and Ellie discover a body in a closed room at Harlequin House during renovations. Ellie is sure she knows who it is due to stories she's heard and recognizing some items from a photo.

Then they find the body of Hector Gosling in this room. They consider closing the room back off and re-wallpapering so no one will know. Why? They feared Ellie's husband, George, would be considered guilty. They know he isn't, and Eastport's police chief Bob Arnold knows George's good character. But, they still know he'll be looked at hard.

What they didn't know was that Bob and his wife are out of town due to his mother taking ill. State Trooper Colgate came to town to investigate the murders.

George refuses to say where he was when Hector was murdered, so he ends up in jail.

Ellie and Jake begin to investigate Hector's murder. The fact that George refusing to let anyone visit him compounds the problem. George is attacked in prison. The fact that Ellie is very pregnant and concerned about George complicates matters.

Jake is also repairing her home. In between repairs, CPR classes, and Ellie's doctor appointments, the pair begin interviewing the various people involved.

When another corpse is discovered, they realize they need to work fast. Jake finds herself in danger before the true killer is unmasked.

I enjoy books in this series. They are a fast read. Cozy mysteries set on the east coast are a favorite of mine. Every time I read a book in this series, I wish I could visit Eastport, Maine.

Jake and Ellie are great characters. They are supported by a great cast of characters as well. They are all believable and created well. The new relationship between Jake and her dad is so well written.

I highly recommend this book.

While working on a long-abandoned historic home, Jacobia 'Jake' Tiptree and her friend Ellie White discover the body of a long-dead flapper--and a much more recent corpse. Nobody much regrets Hector Gosling's death. The man was a swindler and a cheat. But the problem is, Ellie's husband George has been making all sorts of noises about wishing Hector were dead. And the more the police look into it, the more evidence they find that points directly at George. Jake finally decides that it's up to her and to vastly pregnant Ellie to get to the bottom of the mystery.

It turns out that there were plenty of people with good reason to want Hector dead. His partner is scheduled to inherit everything, Hector broke up his maid's engagement, and he ruined a business deal for a wood-cutting couple who are barely making ends meet. Which makes for plenty of suspects for Jake and Ellie to investigate. The problem is, none of these suspects have more reason to hate Hector than George does, and all seem to have some sort of alibi for the critical times. Only when Jake puts herself in serious harms way does she finally figure out what must have happened. And by then, it just might be too late.

Author Sara Graves mixes home renovation with detecting in an entertaining story. Jake's largely disfunctional family (ex-drug abusing son, ego-centered ex-husband, and ex-radical bomber ex-husband as well as mobster ex-business partner) are over the top but add interest to the story. Jake and Ellie do some serious detecting and are well motivated through the story. MALLETS AFORETHOUGHT is definitely worth the read.

When she realized her teenage son was moving deeper into the NYC hardcore drug culture, financial planner Jacobia "Jake" Tiptree left her six-figure job and moved to Eastport, located on a barrier island off the coast of Maine. She moved into a fixer-upper that even years later still needs repair, had to make accommodations with her ex-husband who left a thriving medical practice to be near his son, and married a man who gave her the love and security her first spouse couldn't provide.

Now an integral part of the small seaport community, Jake and her best friend Ellie are just two of the volunteers fixing up Harlequin House for a fundraising gala. When the two women uncover a secret room, they open it and find two bodies inside. One is a woman who disappeared eighty years ago while the other corpse is the enemy of Ellie's husband. Jake knows that the police will have to arrest George since he told everyone in town he wanted to kill Hector and he will not give the cops an alibi. Jake starts investigating and her search leads to a suspect that plans to kill her so he can go on living in Eastport.

Sprinkled throughout the storyline are house repair tips that are very helpful and easy to follow, but also provide a sense of normalcy that augments the who-done-it. The heroine goes the extra mile for her friends in MALLETS AFORETHOUGHT, risking her own life to save the life of her spouse whom she knows is innocent. Sarah Graves is a very descriptive writer so the reader can visualize each scene in their head.

Harriet Klausner

This is a delightful book, which shows that there IS help for some species via the conservation efforts of dedicated environmentalists. And FYI, the efforts continue today. You can find out more (and view the PUFFIN CAM during the summer - morning viewing is best) on the web site for the project run by Dr. Kress and his staff - projectpuffin.org

I was very interested in this book and its account of the project since I was involved in its 3 year attempt to bring the puffins back Easter Egg Rock while attending the Audubon Camp on Hogs' Island. I'm so pleased that Stephen Kress has recorded his enthusiasm and experiment so that it can be shared with others. It will be a birthday gift to my great-niece. Alexandra de Grandpré

Hello. My name is Anna and I'm 8 years old. I think that Project Puffin is a very inspiring book and that the baby puffins are the cutest thing in the world. I am glad they got the puffins and other sea birds back to Egg Rock and other places. If you are cruel enough to think that wearing feathers on hats is a good idea, you will not like this book. People, like myself, who are concerned about nature will like this book a lot.

this was one of my favorite books when i was little. i checked it out at the library almost every week. the photographs are beautiful and lucid and the writing is informative (but tells a compelling story). this is a really great book for kids who like to learn about rare animals. another book, slightly longer but on a similar subject, is _The Wheel on the School_. It's about storks and has pencil illustrations rather than great photographs, but i think people who like this book would also like that one.

Randy does a wonderful job in letting the reader into his world; into his thoughts and into the moments which have made up his eventful life. Randy's book is full of stories which transcend a personal point of view from a "Good Ol' Boy" growing up in the state of Maine, to stories which anyone from anywhere can truly relate. His writing style is very easy-going (not to mention quite humorous) and the book's bite-sized chapters are perfect if you're just in the need for a quick read. I highly recommend this book to anyone who loves the outdoors, has a fondness for the simple things or enjoys a fresh perspective on life itself. A wicked good book!

Great Book. This is filled with humor, great down to Earth Maine stories. Its a great, easy read. Thanks Mr. Randall.

This books is a compilation of tales by Randy Randall a Maine storyteller. Randall's stories have appeared in several Maine publications.

Enjoy the flavor of Maine camp life, encounter people and animals that are true to life and laugh with your gracious host, Randy Randall.

Sandbox Camp Tales from a Maine Storyteller

Somewhere in the wilds of Downeast Maine there's an old log cabin sitting on a sandy beach at the edge of a remote pond. It's the kind of place where folks come to relax and kick back and get away from the frustrations and stresses of modern life. We come here to play and so the cabin is named the "Sandbox." When the oil lamps are lit and there's a fire going in the woodstove and friends gather around the table to deal the cards then the stories begin. Everyone has stories to tell. Some seem pretty far-fetched sometimes, but others we know contain a kernel of truth depending on the reputation of the teller and the number of beers left in the fridge. One story prompts another and then old memories arise and before long the night is late and one by one the storytellers seek their beds. Everyone has stories, only in this book Randy Randall has taken the time to write them down; to capture for our kids , friends and future friends the stories we all know mostly by heart and have heard hundreds of times before. Stories about friends and family and far-flung relatives and beautiful places and being young and foolish.

At first he wrote the stories only for those who might come to the cabin, but then some people thought there might be a book in the making. So here it is. The book makes no pretensions of being something other then what it is, one man?s view of the world as he remembers it and sees it today. Like many good storytellers he might exaggerate a little, or a lot, beat around the bushes some, and be a little loose with his facts, but as he says, his purpose is merely to entertain--even if only for a moment. And if you are pleasantly distracted and find yourself wishing you could find that old cabin in the Maine woods, then this Maine storyteller has done his job.

Randy Randall is a native Mainer. He lives on the banks of the Saco River where he and his wife Jean with her family are co-owners of Marston's Marina. A few years ago he retired from a career with IBM and has been busy since then trying to get his money's worth from the English degree he earned years ago at the University of Maine. He calls himself a raconteur and apprentice writer working to improve his style and delivery. The result of his efforts is this first book of collected stories and essays. Among other things he is a registered Maine Guide, a Vietnam vet, a retired Scout Master, and he goes lobster fishing. When he's not pumping gas for customer's boats at the marina you can usually find him out on Saco Bay pulling his traps.

This was a very interesting book. When I first loooked at the title I had very little interest in it, but yuo know what they say, "You can never judge a book by its cover." When I opened the book up to read the summary I was very surprised. It was very different than I thought it would be. An eleven-year-old girl named Elizabeth is sent to Maine to visit her grandmother for the whole month of August. She is not very excited about it and doesn't really want to go. When she gets there it is like a whole different world to her. It looks very different to her. This is only the second or third time Elizabeth has met her Grandmother in person. She feels kind of awkward and does not know what they will talk about or what Gran will question her about. Gran starts asking Elizabeth questions and she does not know what kind of answer Gran wants so she answers with a yes or no. Gran knows she feels awkward and tells her it's okay. Elizabeth learns many things about Gran and her family. Gran loves to tell stories. Her favorite things to do are to draw and paint. Elizabeth meets many new people. She gets close with Gran's neighbors. They are very different. They are loud and treat their children in a not so good way. Aaron, one of the sons really starts to like Elizabeth. She takes him down to the cemetary and to the dock often. One night Aaron gets lost. he is nowhere to be found. Later that day Elizabeth finds out something she never knew about Gran. I will let you read the rest to find out what happens next. This was a pretty good book but to tell you the truth, it didn't start getting good until about the middle. I would recommend this book to people in between fourth and eighth grade.

If you are looking for a book that you don't want to put down than Western Wind is the book for you. When I read Western Wind I couldn't put it down. If you do like books that you cant put down than trust me you want to read this book. If you don't like those kind of books than you shouldn't read this book. This book is about a girl that goes and sees her Grandma Gran. She feels like she is sent away because she doesn't wasnt to go but her parents make her. She has a new baby brother and thats why she feels that she has been sent away. Her parents make her go because her grandma has heart cancer and she wants to see Elizabith( her grandaughter). Elizabith meets a boy named Aaron and has a lot of fun with him. Her grandma lives on Pring Island and has no bathroom or electricty. Aaron gets lost and eveyone has to go on a search for him. Gran's heart cancer is getting worse. When Gran gets home she can't breathe. She asks Elizabith to get her neighbor to call the coast gaurd. Gran goes to the hospital. Does she die or not?

If you'd ever lingered among the crags and eddies off the coast of Maine, there is much that is endearing and enduring in this brief novel, written for near-teens, but enjoyable for all ages. A young girl spends the summer with her grandmother, an artist on an island just off the Maine coast. At first, perplexed and hurt by her parents' decision to have her stay with the often taciturn, but always loving and engaging gran, young Elizabeth learns through a young neighbor boy the importance of seizing the day and not missing a moment of life, a lesson that becomes all the more poignant by the novel's melancholy, but hopeful ending. Paula Fox is the author of the Newbery-winning SLAVE DANCER and always writes with a clarity of spirit and sparklingly unforgettable characters. Further evidence that quick reads do not have to be toss-away pap.

Western Wind is a really good book!! Elizabeth acts just like a girl would in her situation with her grandmother. She is a girl who was sent to her grandma's house for awhile and feels like her parents sent her away so they could be alone with their new son. I really recommend you read this book. It is excellent!!!!!!

A book mixing a variety of topics on the hot subject of child labor, it combines all the right elements to attract the reader. Though the lengh of the book is a little long its great ideas and intriguing subject keep you reading. This is an enjoyable book to read on a lazy day.

This book contains information about numerous human rights concerns from all around the world. In addition, it contains numerous articles and many documents. It is a wonderful research took that can be used by persons first learning about human rights, as well as by those persons who are working on post-undergraduate degrees

This is a really good human rights textbook. It covers a wide range of human rights issues, and has a lot of interesting articles. However I found some of the chapters rather difficult because of the legal jargon. Some of the things you have to read over more than once. The questions in the text focus on your personal opinions, so doing homework from this book is not so bad once you understand the questions (which for my slow brain was a challenge.) It is also very useful as a doorstop. :)

The author took many photographs, which appear in the book and which are worth the price of the book by themselves. One quibble I have is that the author admits to skipping parts of the trail by hitchhiking, canoeing and taking a bus. For example, I looked for a description of the last part of the trail along the southern shore of the St. Lawrence River in Quebec, but the book does not describe this part perhaps because the author skipped it by taking a bus. Most of this trail is road walking, so I do not blame the author. But in the interest of truth in advertising.... As other reviewers have noted, the author adeptly describes the people she met along the way.

oh i want to do it too!!
with Ms Dykstra (canadian!) i hiked from Maine to Gaspe on the IAT.
as an armchair traveller i found this short book (137 pages) thoroughly enjoyable. easy to read, wonderfull glossy pages and photos, heartfelt humour and pain; i wanted more. the end of the book has extensive guide lines for those who want to do the hike.

Reading this book is like having your best friend sit down across the table from you and tell you about her vacation, while showing you the beautiful pictures she took along the way. Dykstra is a natural storyteller who has a knack for meeting people and then describing her encounters in quick, deft word portraits. Her fascinating, often hilarious account of her journey kept me in awe, and in stitches, from beginning to end. She doesn't appear to hold back her emotions in her writing and her description of both the joys and occasional disappointments of solitary backpacking give her account a rawness and honesty that I haven't read in other travel books. As well, Raincoast has done an excellent job in reproducing her photos in this book. It's like reading a National Geographic article extended to book-length.
If I have any criticism of this book it is that it had to end. Dykstra's seven-week journey on the Appalachian Trail flashes by in just a few hours of reading time, when I wanted it to keep on going and going and going... Perhaps the publisher can talk her into walking the remainder of the Trail, from Maine to Georgia, and we can have another enchanting book that is three times as long and filled with even more breathtaking photos. My highest possible recommendation for purchase.

This book was another visit to a previous century, and I loved reading it. Very poetic and also interesting to read someone's observations of their world, and compare it to how we live today!

Well written. had to keep reminding myself this was written in the 1800's. Good overview of the islands and reflections of life in those times.

I had trouble putting this book down. I only did to make it last longer.
Celia totally loved her garden. She wrote about the flowers she planted, the birds who came to visit, and her battle with slugs. How I pulled for her to defeat those slugs!
This book had me itching to work in my own garden. I plan to read it every spring.
If you find it interesting reading about other people's exploits with their own gardens then you should enjoy this delightful book.

I had Getman for labor law and that's why I bought this book. I'm passing it on to my sister who practice labor and employment law because I know she'll really enjoy it. It's a good book for someone who wants to get a picture of how unions work, internal politics and all, and the emotions involved in a labor strike. An objectiver look from an interesting guy who really knows this area of law.

Mr. Getman does a good of telling the local union's side of the strike at Internatioal Paper's Jay, Maine mill, however his lack of balance causes him to miss the point. I worked as a consultant at the Jay mill for a year prior to the strike and know all the main characters Mr. Getman describes. He has omitted some key relationships. For example the deep personal dislike between the mill manager and the local president was an important element in the strike. But more important Mr. Getman missed the point he was trying to make. While he concludes that International Paper, the international union, and the law betrayed Local 14, the fact is the real betrayers of Local 14 were the idealists who turned a local labor disput into a crusade. He is correct in that the strike bitterly divided the town of Jay and it is divided to this day. I hope every union official reads this book before they ask their members for a strike vote.

This is an insightful and readable account of an important strike. The local leadership did not go looking for this strike, International Paper did. What they did not count on was the innovative tactics of the workers, and their leadership and advisors, who inflicted a lot of pain on the company. When I lived in Maine, the paper companies got everything just they way they wanted it. When they said jump, everyone from the Governor to the media said how high? And if the paper companies wanted fewer restrictions from environmental laws, even the unions went along with it. But in 1987-8, workers in Jay stood up. And a lot of Mainers stood by them. The strike shook things up in the state. This book is a useful reminder that workers can stand up for what they believe in. They can fight and make a difference. By the way. In other countries, like France, it is illegal to bring in permanent replacement scabs. It should be here.