Maine Books

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

When I bought this book at the Brookline Booksmith here in Boston, the girl at the counter said "this is a great book". I had bought it based on a short New Yorker review, and also, let's face it, because of its great title.

The 11 short stories are set in and around the fictional town of Vaughn, Maine. The characters go to Portland, take a train up north towards Quebec, talk about trips to Boston, all of which roots Vaughn into the real Maine. Indeed, the book opens with a map of Vaughn showing it on the (real) Kennebec river.

The book has a historic sweep, referencing actual history (the Plains of Abraham where the British General James Wolfe fought the French in the Battle of Quebec) as well as the history of the book characters and of Vaughn itself. One story starts "I belonged to a large family that had lived in the same town in Maine for over two hundred years". Reading the stories, many about traumatic events such as a drowning, you know that the protagonists will still be living together, in the same place in Maine, for the rest of their lives. You get the feeling that the place itself has a long memory.

The writing moves from matter-of-fact prose ("A hockey game started near shore, mostly fathers and sons and brothers in plaid jackets and blue caps, choosing sides according to size"), to Maine logging jargon ("Nothing in the river but sinkers and bark cake and raw waste from sixteen towns coating the bottom, methane bubbling up through the water and pulp and booms waiting for a freshet"), to beauty ("He turned around and looked up, as if at a mountain peak or a descending plane, but there was nothing above except a line of high white clouds pulling up over the valley like a cold sheet").

Highly recommended. I pass on the recommendation from the Brookline Booksmith counter assistant.

Jason Brown writes wonderful short stories. In this collection, he is able to capture perfectly and insightfully the nuances of adolescent experience. BUY THIS BOOK!

Full Disclosure: I attended Bowdoin College with Jason Brown, and we had an acquaintance or two in common. I read a profile in the Bowdoin Magazine and then bought his first book, which I loved.

This collection of short stories was dynamite. Dark and powerful, all its stories revolve around the fictional town of Vaughn on the Kennebec River. I would almost call it a novel about Vaughn told from all sorts of angles, from the aging widow to the neglected children. I was particularly impressed with a story about a logger on the last pulp run down the Kennebec.

These are stories that stay with you. I read the entire collection on the train between Boston and Lawrence -- after each story, I would stare out the window looking at the double-deckers in Malden or the stark outlines of abandoned mills.

I look forward to his novel.

Just for kicks, compare the map of Vaugn in the collection to Jason Brown's hometown of Hallowell, Maine.

Why the Devil Chose New England for His Work: Stories

Although all of the stories in Jason Brown's second collection are set in and around the fictional town of Vaughn, Maine, the emotional territory of the stories is far-reaching. Many of his characters are moving through life in quiet turmoil--enduring, defiant, proud, foolish. Brown's deep compassion for these flawed characters makes each of their struggles palpable and affecting. We feel the stories viscerally, which is how Brown seems to write them. This is writing from the gut. The best book of stories I've read in years.

Why the Devil Chose New England for His Work: Stories

This is a fantastic collection. Read Brown's "Trees," in which the woods stand as a watchful, powerful central character. All of Brown's stories are like those woods: deep, dark, and full of secrets, a place you're drawn to again and again.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I would have loved this book even if it wasn't so well written, as the author grew up in Maine and is exactly my age, so it was like a trip down memory lane to read about his childhood--exciting trips to LaVerderies to get Christmas presents, the feeling of going to the big city when you are really going to a small Maine city, the extra sunny day when I too went inside from playing in the Maine summer to see Nixon resign, picking a Christmas tree from the woods and trying so hard to find the perfect one among the imperfect Maine scrubby forest trees, the transition from the huge colored bulbs to smaller ones that gradually took place, the feeling of a Christmas pageant in a small church, Grants Christmas albums---WOW!

This memoir is told all in Christmases, little samples of the author's life growing up fairly poor in Norridgewock, Maine, half Cuban and therefore half an outsider (although the fact that the other half was an old Maine family probably made it easier).

I know too the feeling of leaving home young and never really going home, and how the guilt when you do visit can be quite overwhelming. This book evokes the time and place so well that it brought me to tears several times. A real triumph.

A Little Fruitcake: A Childhood in Holidays
Wonderful read for getting in the holiday spirit - warm, vivid, witty and fun!

give them A Little Fruitcake. As spirited and hilarious as Sedaris' Holidays on Ice, A Little Fruitcake veers between laugh-out-funny and a warm loving look back at childhood holidays. Valdes Greenwood's voice is fresh, wise, with just the right amount of bite -- the perfect holiday guest (unlike the great aunts you actually have to spend Christmas with!)

A Little Fruitcake is my pick for holiday gift this year. It's a wonderful collection of stories about family and holidays that you can feel comfortable giving to anyone from your traditional Grandma to your quirky and hip college roommate (and it sure beats an actual fruitcake). I'm going to send copies out as early holiday gifts, maybe around Thanksgiving, to help everyone get into the holiday mood.

Greenwood, David Valdez. "This Christmas, Try a Little Fruitcake", De Capo Press, 2007.

The Spirit of the Season

Amos Lassen

Remember when? These two words say succinctly and precisely what "This Christmas, Try a Little Fruitcake" is all about. The book is a collection of charming and comical little stories that brim with the spirit of the holiday season. David Valdes Greenwood who gave us "Homo Domesticus" captures with elfin charm the sometimes outrageous unpredictability of family celebrations in a series of delightful and heart warming little stores. He gives us twelve tales, one for each of the twelve days of Christmas and they are all set against the background of the rural countryside of Maine.
Holidays can be compared to fruitcake--they are both mixed blessings. They each offer unexpected chaos and actual merriment. It is so easy to identify with the characters as all of us have relatives like the ones we read about in Valdes Greenwood's stories. Remember the time you tormented Santa Claus or the time you went to the Christmas pageant when the wise men were not speaking to each other because of some petty argument? There is a Scrooge in every family (I resemble that remark) and then there are the homemade decorations that while may not be beautiful hold a prominent place in the home because the children made them.
Valdes Greenwood looks at Christmas through the eyes of a child and makes the holiday come alive. He reminds us of the sappy TV spectaculars and getting together to decorate the tree and then he lets us remember how ewe sat at the kids' table which was not exactly placed too close to the grownups.
It is the humor and the nostalgia of the book that makes it special but at the heart of the stories is David who is loveable and precocious at the same time. There is also a very strong moral here and that is that Christmas spirit is not what is wrapped under the tree or the birth of Jesus but the beauty of the season which gives us memories to last a lifetime.
Even as a non-Christian, I could identify with much of the book. I may not have Christmas but I have the season and it is that special time of year that all of us cherish so dearly.

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

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

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

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

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

This book is perfect for people wanting to do beginner (and even a couple moderate) hikes in the White Mountains. It is very easy to use and detailed. All hiking books should use the format of this book. I highly recommend it.

If you are looking for more agressive hikes or multi-day trips, get the AMC White Mountain Guide with maps.

Being an avid hiker and an avid reader of hiking guides (when it's too cold and white to hike), I purchased several hiking guides to help me plan my recent vacation to New England. This guide is by far the best of that lot.

This guide describes 50 hikes in the White Mountains (45 in northern New Hampshire, 5 in extreme western Maine) divided into 8 regions by geography. Each hike contains detailed directions to the trailhead, a very good map that shows you almost everything along the trail except contour lines, and a description that usually lasts for several pages. The descriptions are divided into two sections: the first just gives directions for walking the trail along with the major highlights, while the second gives lots of information about the scenery (animate and inanimate) you are likely to see on the trail. In fact, this guide gives you more information on the forest and fauna than just about any guide I have ever read. Length of the hikes range from 0.5 miles to 5 miles with the average at 2 or 3 miles. Also, some of the trails can be combined to form longer hikes of up to 10 miles.

This guide emphasizes hiking with kids, so one might think the appropriate audience is somewhat limited. However, as a single man with no kids, I can attest that this guide will be useful to anyone interested in White Mountain hiking. In fact, much of the information "intended for kids" I found to be just good information about the trail's natural setting (as described above). So don't think this guide is one of the specialized type; it can actually be used by a very broad audience.

If there was one drawback to this guide, it would be the significant changes that have occurred on some of these trails since the book went to press. On my personal hiking journeys, I discovered:

1) the trail to Arethusa Falls (highest in NH) has been rerouted and
2) the Old Man profile in Franconia Notch has collapsed.

So there will need to be an updated version published in a few years. However, the publication date is still fairly current, and trail changes are beyond the author's control.

In summary, this is an excellent guide that anyone interested in White Mountain dayhiking should own. Very highly recommended.

This is a terrific book to use when you are going to hike in the White Mountains of New Hampshire. It is rich with information presented in an easily accessible format. Useful introductory chapters tell you how to get the most out of the book, make suggestions for hiking with children, and discuss the natural history of the region, including line illustrations of plants and a few animals. A map shows the location of each of the 50 hikes, which are divided up between the Franconia Notch, Waterville Valley/Squam Lake, Kancamagus, Crawford Notch, Pinkham Notch, North Conway, Evans Notch and North Country regions. An easy-to-read chart lists all the hikes and their difficulty level, distance and whether or not there is a river, a waterfall, a lake or pond, a view, rock ledges, wooden bridge, blueberry bushes or special geological feature on that particular hike. A short introduction to each region details facilities available such as camping sites and visitor centers. Several pages are devoted to each hike, including length, elevation gain, time requirement and difficulty level, a description of the trail, highlights for kids, directions to get there, a map and a photograph. The book concludes with a bibliography and index.

If you get one book to help you explore the White Mountains, it should be this one, particuarly if you are hiking with children.

Now in an updated and revised second edition, Robert Buchsbaum's Nature Hikes In The White Mountains continues to be the premier guide to New England's White Mountain waterfalls, mountain ponds, blueberry patches, and outdoor adventures for the hiker, backpacker, and nature enthusiast. Mixing trail descriptions with natural history, Buchsbaum provides a series of hiking opportunities including a map, distance, estimated hiking time, elevation change, and level of difficulty. Nature Hikes In The White Mountains offers natural sites and activities for children; sidebars on natural features along the trail; detailed driving instructions to reach each trail; and a quick reference chart for selecting the perfect hike. Whether for a day hike, a weekend excursion, or to plan an outdoor vacation, Nature Hikes In The White Mountains will prove a much appreciated, practical, and even inspirational guide!

Went to the White Mountains with another adult friend and picked this book because the walks looked about our speed. The directions are great, descriptions and nature discussions also very informative and entertaining. I particularly liked the "what the kids get out of it" feature for each walk. I particularly recommend the walk to Diana's Baths, a waterful near North Conway, NH.

I have been thoroughly enjoying Gails writing. She shares tradtional and modern use of a variety of herbs. She has a small section on making your own.
Her writing style keeps you interested and educated.

The cover to this book is also beautiful and represents the book well.

This is a fabulous book full of the wonders of our green allies. Herbal medicine, plant lore, poetry, ceremonies, delicious recipes, and a terrific index make this book a must for anyone interested in using wild plants. The section on medicinal trees is unique in my experience. The author's lovely spirit shines in every word and makes me wish I was a member of her family.

Are you kidding me? I can't believe this book is not on the best sellers list. Definitely a wonderful piece of art. You will have so much fun learning about herbs and their uses, that you will have to wonder why you haven't heard of this book before! Get the word out. The author deserves to be recognized.

As a novice to the world of medicinal herbs, I found this book to be an outstanding resource. The plant descriptions and directions for medicinal use are clear, concise and inspiring. But it is the call to the way of the Wise Woman and the stories interwoven which sang to my heart.

This book is a must for anyone wishing to gain extensive knowledge on many herb and plant uses. It's format is very easy to read as the herbs are alphabetized. The author, Gail Edwards, has obviously done her homework as she includes a rich historical background and suggestions on the uses of each herb. You will definitely improve your herb IQ if you read this terrific book. Enjoy!