Who knew there were edible book festivals? The International Edible Book Festival is an annual event usually held on or around April 1,which is also known as Edible Book Day. The global event has been celebrated since 2000 in various parts of the world, where “edible books” are created, displayed, and small events are held.
The Portland Public Library used to hold these festivals, as well as other libraries in Maine.
Ordinarily edible “books” are cakes, but this summer the talented and creative board of the Long Island Community Library took it one step further and created all sorts of lovely (and delicious) interpretations of books turned into food, such as slushies (“Frozen river” by Ariel Lawhon), a vegetable plate (“The tiny seed” by Eric Carle), pigs-in-a-blank (“Charlotte’s web” by E.B. White), chili (“Like water for chocolate” by Laura Esquivel), muffins (“If you give a moose a muffin” by Laura Joffe Numeroff), peach cobbler (“James and the giant peach” by Roald Dahl, raspberry cordial (“Anne of Green Gables” by Lucy Maud Montgomery), iced tea (“The tea girl of Hummingbird Lane” by Lisa See), and branches of blueberries (“The berry pickers” by Amanda Peters). And many other clever and tasty treats.
During this annual event at LICL to honor and thank the library volunteers, this impressive edible book festival was a wonderful celebration of food – and books!
Today is my father’s birthday – August 27th – he would be 102 today. Bill Noble had many loves, including his family, the California desert (where he lived), writing, and great literature. My sister Patty just uncovered this reading list that he wrote about books he read in the first 9 months of 1993, when he was 70 years old:
Jan.Alan Watts – “In my own way.” Autobiography. Loaned to Bob Hoyk 4/8/93.
Jan.George Bernard Shaw – Complete plays. I had never read a play by GBS before now, probably because in college I read his “Quintessence of Ibsenism” which was really all about himself. Pompous, arrogant but with the wittiest cutting edge dialogue. Prologues and introductions are endless.
Jan. Henrick Ibsen – After Shaw I had to read Ibsen again. At UC I took a course in Scandinavian literature and read Hedda Gabler, Doll’s House; this reading of his plays 45 years later had the effect of endless slogging through thick cold mud. Especially after flippant Shaw.
Feb.Tony Hillerman – all 10 novels, crime on the Arizona and New Mexico Indian reservations, Navajo, Hopi. Get out AAA’s Indian country map and follow along. Good writing and good insights into Indian culture.
Feb.Benita Eisler – “O’Keeffe and Stieglitz” – biography. Overdone in parts but good racy reading about my favorite American artist.
Mar. Mary Austin – “Land of little rain” – plant, animal and human life in the border regions of Arizona and Southern California. Good nature writing but lags. Think she’s overrated.
Mar. Loren Eisley – “Not man apart.” Photography and accompanying poetry text by Robinson Jeffers on the Big Sur area.
Mar. James Karman – “Robinson Jeffers: poet of California.” Great biography, 4th or 5th reading. The only poet I can halfway understand and appreciate. At UC I took a course in English literature given by Benjamin Kurtz, his farewell lectures and he unloaded on us, the Iliad, Ibsen, Shaw, Shakespeare, Bergson’s “Creative evolution,” the “Bhagavad Gita,” Corneille’s play, “El Cid,” and the only thing I remember is Jeffers’ “Roan stallion,” “Tamar” and “Cawdor.”
Mar.Edith Hamilton – “Mythology.” – A classic, basic text, good reference for Jeffers reading. Been on the shelf for years – finally got through it.
Apr. Frederick Turner – editor of an anthology of Henry Miller’s work. Good reading.
Apr. Herb Caen and Dong Kingman – “San Francisco,” text by Caen, watercolors by Kingman. Caen is the San Francisco Chronicler and Kingman its artist.
Apr. Annie Dillard – “Teaching a stone to talk.” Philosophy, nature, “Pilgrim at Tinker Creek” is still the best. Most of her writings are over my head. Edward Abbey said she was the only true heir to Thoreau. I think Thoreau is kind of boring but at least I can understand what he’s writing about.
May-June. Will Durant – “Story of Philosophy” – read parts of this in college in connection with a ‘Philosophy of Literature’ course. Found it in a used book store in Palm Springs this year and have been taking it in small sips, no big gulps.
May.Willa Cather – “Death comes for the archbishop” – about the 4th read on this. Great novel of New Mexico early settlement. Have never gotten interested in any other of her work but this is a classic.
June. David Park Curry wrote the text to this great collection of impressionist art by Childe Hassam on Appledore Island in the Isles of Shoals 10 miles out from the Maine and New Hampshire coasts. Is called “An island garden revisited” – Celia Thaxter’s garden.
June. Isabel Allende – “Eva Luna” – sort of a picaresque novel of growing up in South America. Improbable situations.
June. Sara Paretsky – “Deadlock” and “Guardian angel” – good mysteries in Chicago area.
June.Frederick Franck – “Days with Albert Schweitzer” – a Lambarene landscape, book and pen drawing by a dentist who volunteered at the Congo compound for a year.
July. Stuart Woods – “Santa Fe rules” – mystery – New Mexico
July.Henry Beston – “The outermost house” – a year of life on the great beach at Cape Cod. Probably the 40th read since the first in 1947. It restoreth my soul.
July.Jorge Luis Borges – “A personal anthology” – Borges is the only Latin American writer who inspires me. He is an incredible philosopher word-smith, he reminds me of Annie Dillard but even in translation he is more intelligible. Maybe Annie needs a translator. There are 50 or so essays in this anthology. This is a third reading and I need a few more to cull out the gemstones. See later.
July. John Steinbeck – “The pearl” – have most of Steinbeck – like this one. Actually, like just about everything he wrote, several times. I like to read “Cannery Row” over again on Sunday afternoons with a glass of wine and “Of mice and men” after no breakfast, just coffee. But, I need a full stomach for “In dubious battle.” Gut writing. I read most of Steinbeck once a year.
Aug.George Adamson – “My pride and joy” – autobiography of a life in Kenya as game warden among wildlife, esp. lions – “Born Free, etc.”
Aug. ’93. Mccrum, Cran, & MacNeil – “The story of English” – great history of the English language.
Alan Paton – “Cry the beloved country” – I like to read this book every few years because of the way it is written, poetry in prose. It came out in 1948, there was as movie made of it. Just a beautiful book. But I’ve never read his “Too late the phalarope” – not sure why.
Jeffrey Archer – “Honor among thieves” – contemporary (1993) novel of international intrigue that includes Saddam Hussein and Bill Clinton. Suspense.
Sept. ’93. Rereading Peggy Wayburn’s update (1988) on the Sierra Club “Adventuring in Alaska, to refresh me on details of our cruise. Bought this in Anchorage.
John Muir, “Travels in Alaska” – ever loquacious, Muir found Alaska “beyond description.” Travels in 1879 primarily.
In addition to this reading list, he included some of his favorite writers, artists, entertainers, etc.
Mary Caliandro had a dream – to return home to Long Island, after many years living elsewhere, most recently Chattanooga, Tennessee. So, a year ago Mary and her husband, Chris Mobley, ventured north and landed in the end condo down front, alongside the road leading down to Ponce’s Landing. Mary had another smaller dream, to put up a “little free library,” to offer books to the community. The location is perfect, as this crossroads is walked by many, on their way to the beach or Bakehouse, or beyond. Mary has been involved in books and reading and libraries for most of her life, and this is her way of giving back.
So, a few months ago, her smaller dream came to fruition, thanks to Mary’s cousin Robbie, who made and brought the little free library out to the island for Mary’s birthday, and Tom McVey, who installed it on the planter. The library has slowly become populated, most recently by children’s books, and more donations are welcome.
Mary’s favorite author is Stephen King – she has read all of his books. She also enjoys all types of fiction, non-fiction, mysteries, and biographies – most recently she read one about Jimmy Carter.
At the end of the summer Mary and Chris are moving from one end of the condos to the other, and will be moving the little free library with them – still a great location, and perhaps a bit more sheltered for the upcoming winter season, which is when we will need books more than ever. Mary says, about her little free library, “It’s a pleasure to have it” – and we are happy to have Mary and Chris here on the island, sharing their passion for books and reading, and brightening up their small corner of Long Island.
Lauren is the partner of John Lortie, a long-time Long Island resident. We recently caught up with Lauren, who kindly answered some of our questions about her book and her life on Long Island with John.
Did you write chronologically or different sections at different times?
I wrote chronologically, with great intent to bring forth as much memory as possible. So, for my early years, I drank a sprite (something I never do now), and looked at photos of myself and my family at certain ages, whereas when I was writing about Newport, I ate candied gingers and chocolate covered espresso beans (because that’s something Countess had served after meals), looked at photos from the mansion, and got out jewelry I still have from that time. I also brought certain smells I could remember as I wrote about each section, because I wanted to “be there”, even when “there” was painful, and to fully bring the reader into experiences with me, good or bad.
From reading your book it appears that you’re a lifelong writer and have published articles throughout the years. How has your style evolved?
I wrote for years prior to entering my first contest in late 2018 just before my husband Michael’s passing, but I never showed my writing to anyone outside of writing courses I took in New York. Michael learned of my award a little over a month before his passing. He encouraged me to not give up writing. I’d just begun to submit articles to Portland Press’ Meeting House section just after Michael passed away. My first submission was published, and I decided to submit monthly articles based on the theme, and I decided to write each month to inform the reader where I was on my journey after losing a spouse. I was very honored that Portland Press chose to include my article nearly every month for over a year, and I was informed by the editor at the time that people were writing to the paper commenting that my stories resonated with them because they also loss a spouse. It was so heartwarming to learn this.
My writing has evolved, not so much in style because I have always liked to write as though I’m speaking to the reader, but writing this book has forced me to tighten up the sentences, especially because this is such a long memoir. I actually wrote the equivalent of two books, but my original editor believed there was no way for me to divide the story so that my reader would be left satisfied at the end of the first book, so I cut around 60,000 words, and then worked for several months to continue to tighten the sentence to further reduce word count. I had a lot to say!
Do you have memoirists that you especially enjoy reading or who have influenced how you put your book together? I liked how you often spoke directly to the reader. And your chapter endings were very interesting and different.
It’s suggested writers read other authors for inspiration. I think the last couple of memoirs I read were Becoming, by Michelle Obama, and No One Is Too Small to Make a Difference, by Greta Thunberg. I like to read more educational memoirs, so Ms. Thunberg really stuck out for me. However, I wanted to write the way I have felt throughout life; that it has happened in very specifically different “stages”, and I wanted to express the changes in my thinking through each stage and individual experiences that took place that affected me mentally and emotionally, the stages that created the “injured parts”. Because I wrote with the intent to educate about trauma, especially from early childhood, I wanted the reader to experience (as compassionately as I could possibly do) the traumas with me, and to understand the coping methods I developed throughout the years. I then specifically gave the reader (and myself) breathing moments after reading about trauma experiences because I believed they might need a little humor or a charming story, and there were moments I needed it, because some parts were quite emotionally difficult to write. I also wanted the reader to understand that a great deal of the good and fun in life happens around the trauma events, and we must try to embrace those moments even as we are coping and perhaps even continuing to suffer. I wrote the love letters to injured parts because it’s a wonderfully healing thing to do, and I wanted the reader to feel that healing that has taken place within me, I suppose as a way to reassure them I’m okay. I also hope, of course, that anyone reading my story who has injured parts to heal might consider writing a letter as well, because it works!
Do you have any ideas for novels you would like to write (or any kind of fiction)?
I have several ideas! I love to write short fiction stories, and I am considering writing a book of short stories, always with some humor but also probably with a psychological twist or lesson because psychology is a big part of my life. I am also considering writing a fictional novel based on some historical facts from my family. I am descended from Daniel Boone’s daughter Jemima, and my ancestors helped to settle some parts of Kentucky, especially around Irvine where I still have family, and my mother’s branch of the family upkeeps two of our ancestral cemeteries. Also, my mother’s family has been carrying on the tradition of a family reunion for over one hundred years. I believe this July will be our 105th family reunion. It’s an interesting story so maybe that will be a book, or at least a short story.
When did you start writing your book? How does it feel to have it all down on paper? What was the process like of getting it published?
I began writing in the first part of 2022, and I wrote nearly every day for a year.
I feel very proud I’ve finally allowed myself to tell my story, as this has finally allowed me to begin to live more authentically. It’s strange to have people read it but at the same time it’s an immense sigh of relief that it’s outside of me.
Publishing was an interesting process because I was determined that my storyline stay as it was written. My original editor loved my book, but he kept warning me that the way I wrote was not “traditionally” acceptable to publishers. He suggested I find an agent and I was honored, in one way, that after my first set of emails to agents I received two responses, because it can take a while to receive a response. One agent said she wouldn’t represent me unless I rewrite the story to only discuss what happened in France, the emotional turmoil it caused, and the healing process. I believed this was an attempt to be grossly exploitive of my worst trauma for commercialization, and that she completely missed the educational value of why I wrote. Because I was so adamant that my story remains as I wrote it, I realized self-publishing would be the only way I could maintain control of how my story would end up in print. The experience of publishing was a year of me waking up on a daily basis feeling as though I’m clueless and don’t really know what I’m doing! Ha.
Now that the book is published, I’m in the promotional stage and it’s a whole other ballgame of learning. Still, it has been easier than I expected. I’m now in bookstores in Maine (Print on Congress Street), Lexington, KY (Joseph Beth’s), and Rhode Island (Charter Books) in addition to selling online. I travel to California in a few weeks, and I am hoping to get into a brick-and-mortar bookstore there as well. Information about where to buy my book online can be found on my website https://www.flyingoverthehedge.com/.
My decision to write and host a podcast series of six episodes was partly to further discussion topics I raise in my book, but also as a different way to promote my book. I believe thinking outside the box with the podcast has been greatly beneficial.
You seem to have total recall of events and conversations– is that mostly based on journals and notes over the years?
I referred to journals I kept throughout the years, but there are also certain moments, specifically, of course, trauma moments that are so seared in my brain, like they can be for many who have experienced trauma, that I’ve never forgotten them. I will always remember the event with my sister leading up to my experience of “flying”, I will always remember the first time I saw my mother in the hospital, and I will always remember certain things said and done to me in France, and after. I will equally always remember certain funny conversations with my husband because they were so precious to me. I’m sure you know, some things we can never forget. Thankfully, I don’t have the same trigger response that I had even when I was writing about certain events, because I retraumatized myself when writing. By the way, I knew this would happen and I planned accordingly to receive mental health treatment and healing as I wrote, and even as I was editing. My partner, John, knew I struggled to have to repeatedly edit certain parts of the book, so he volunteered to sometimes read through them for me. That was compassionate and wonderfully understanding on his part.
Having the cues I set up for myself as I wrote each section, to include taste, smell, sight, sound, touch however I could, was a great way to peel back the mind to expose more memories. I had an ipad clipped into a stand beside my bed so that it was easily available for me to make notes, because I’d wake up in the middle of the night and have a very specific memory come forward that I knew I’d have to write down or I’d forget it. I woke up once, remembered something valuable, and told myself I didn’t need to make a note because I’d remember it when I woke up later that morning. I still don’t remember what that recall was! I always wrote down everything after that. One thing I remembered after the book was published was how we flew kites every year. That was such a lovely memory but it didn’t want to come out until later!
What has been the general response to your book, especially in Kentucky, among people who have known you a long time?
I don’t interact with my immediate family, but I am aware one sibling is upset with some things I touch lightly on in my book. Otherwise, other family and childhood friends have been extremely supportive and glad to now understand my perspective, because they now understand why I moved away. I’ve received messages and have had wonderfully meaningful conversations with many of them since the book came out. Many were, of course, shocked by what they read. I’ve received a few tight and long hugs.
Have you found the beauty of Maine to bring healing to your soul? What else about living in Maine helps you? (especially Long Island )
I moved to Maine because I loved the great outdoors. After my husband passed away, people were sure I’d consider returning to Kentucky or New York to live, but I knew I wanted to rebuild my life again in this beautiful state. It hasn’t been easy, because at my age it can be difficult to make new and valued friendships, and I was already starting from scratch before Mike’s passing. It’s been wonderful meeting John and, of course we came together through our mutual experience of loss of a spouse, but then our relationship blossomed into this wonderful partnership. I feel extremely grateful to the universe that John and I were brought into each other’s lives. I think we’ve been good for each other.
Being on Long Island, well on ANY island, is good for the soul! There have, of course, been some challenges for me because John has so much history on Long Island with Annie, his wife that passed away, so I’m the outsider, and at moments it has felt awkward, though most people have been respectful and kind. It takes time. Also, I’d just finished writing my book when I met John and was just beginning the editing stage. I was doing a lot of the editing on the island. So, I was going through so many emotions and trying to keep quiet about exactly what I’d written, for obvious reasons. Oddly, I’d written so I could get the story outside of me, and then I needed to keep quiet about it while I was editing and in pre-publication. It was kind of awkward. As I mention in my book, I was raised working in our family garden, so working with John in our garden is a highlight of the spring and summer months. How could it not be?! Of course, I love getting out on the boat, or going to the beach, and socializing when we can.
Thank you, Lauren, for sharing your story! There is a copy of her book available at the Long Island Community Library, and Lauren will be talking about her book at the library this fall, and will have copies of her book available for purchase.
How many people have bottles in their homes that they have found in their travels or even in their own backyard? The new exhibit at our island library share some of these beautiful bottles, collected by islanders, including Alyssa Poulin, Dave Singo, Tommy Marr, Lou Zeppiere, Christy Floyd Muesse, Nancy Thornston, Judy and Tim Churchard, Rennie and Joe Donovan, Shawn and Alanna Rich, and Paula and David Johnson.
These brown and blue bottles are brought to us by Alyssa Poulin
There are all kinds of bottles, of all shapes and sizes and colors. There’s a vintage milk bottle, a ballast bottle (when filled with liquid and placed on a ship, the bottle remains upright when the ship lists), bottles with images on them (horse, Miss America), and even a heart shaped bottle.
Miss America!
Come enjoy this beautiful collection of bottles, especially on a sunny day when the sun streams through the windows, turning these objects into glorious light filled treasures.
Some lucky islanders received beautiful rocks, made and delivered anonymously – some are painted, some have rocks glued on them, and even one with a crab made out of an old bottle. These wonderfully creative gifts are now on display at the Long Island Community Library.
It’s time to introduce a new author to our occasional series about authors associated with Casco Bay islands, Jeanne Gribbin! Jeanne is the sister of Ellen Harford, a year round Long Island resident, and has recently published her first novel, A Place of Herons, which takes place in late 19th century Maine, including Casco Bay. I caught up with Jeanne a few months ago to ask her a few questions about her novel:
How would you describe this book – historical fiction? Historical romance? The setting is historical, but the characters seem quite modern and informal in language and behavior.
I would say it’s Historical Romance. In some of the activities I had to do to get published there was usually not a ‘check off box’ for Historical Romance. There is also a new category called Womans Fiction which I thought it could fit too. Ultimately, my male readers like the history while the women like the romance.
I loved the descriptions of traveling in the greater Portland area and Portsmouth (where I used to live) – how did you do your research into 19th century coastal Maine and New Hampshire? Are Stony Manor and the Goddard Mansion based on real places? And there is still a boatyard in the same place?
I am very familiar with Portland. My dad worked at the Grand Trunk Steamship office down on the corner of India. He was a private investigator for Canadian National Railroad. Starting at age 6, I would walk with him around the train yard and the warehouses on the wharfs. I did take some Portland tours, looked at historical books on Portland and met with people in historical societies.
Stony Manor is a real place on Cumberland Foreside. It was abandoned when I was in high school. That was when I first went through it and I knew I would write about it someday. It was turned into condos maybe in the 80’s and the area around it was cleared out and developed with affluent homes.
There were boatyards in Yarmouth and at the Cumberland town landing which was actually much closer to the manor. I’m not sure why I chose Yarmouth other than I knew that boat yard better. There were a lot of sea captains in both those areas back then.
The Goddard Mansion is the big ruin on the water in Cape Elizabeth at Fort Williams.
Some novels put dates in the chapter headings, but I noticed that you didn’t – I would guess ca. 1850s?
I had more like 1890 in mind. I left it a little loose. Being a new writer I wanted to be able to take liberties if I didn’t get details just right. I’m hoping to improve my skills.
How long was this story in your mind before you started writing it? How long did it take to write? I understand it’s a trilogy?
I was about 16 when I saw the manor and started writing about 40. Having a full time career and raising children didn’t leave me with much time for self indulgence. I piddled away at it for a long time. Mostly at South Beach on Long. I never really liked the ending, it was too cliche. I changed the ending and made such a mess trying to go back through the whole thing and lean toward a different ending. I’d say I have learned not to do that again. When I retired in 2018 I cleaned it up and sent it to an editor just to see if it was viable. She loved the story; she did not really like the ending but she got it. She gave me places to fix as well as pointed out places that she really loved the writing and the scenery. That gave me encouragement to go to a publisher. Also somewhere in there I joined Maine Writers Alliance and took a lot of classes. Anyway getting published is another whole job. I ended up going with Maine Publishers and they are a great bunch of people and writers.
By the way, Maine Authors thought the ending was nebulous as well. I tweaked it a little and just let it rip. That sort of made me feel like I had to write a sequel. I think the first book leads well into a trilogy. The next one is Samantha’s story when her mother is found. It will come out this year and a lot of it takes place in the Phippsburg area, the north end of Casco Bay. The third book will follow Camilla and probably take place more around Cape Elizabeth, the south end of Casco Bay.
I love that the main character is Italian, but lived in France and was married to a Dutchman? Maybe that’s where the more modern behavior comes in -the meeting of 19th century Europe and 19th century New England. Starting the novel with a shipwreck is brilliant, and a wonderful way to draw the reader in. Mariah is a survivor!
Thank you. They say write what you know. My Mom came from a large Italian family. I wanted Mariah to be a painter so studying in France fit. The Dutch husband got thrown in as a way to get her leaving for the U.S. I have been to Europe and all those countries are really like moving from State to State here. Camilla’s story will start in Europe and the second book will lead the reader to where she is going.
The speech is definitely more casual than it would have been in that time period. It was really just a hard thing to do to stay in a formal language and sound natural. I am hoping the casual ease works better for adult readers of today. All the crazy stuff that happens, I am positive happened regardless of speech.
I’ve spent a lot of time on boats. My whole life, all kinds of boats. I had some early critique that it didn’t seem realistic that Mariah was not more freaked out in the dinghy. It was a good point. I tried to add some backstory around. Basically I am comfortable on the water and so, there are people who are.
Interesting about Eli and his associations with the Native Americans – I would love to hear more about where that came from.
Funny. A history teacher came over to talk with me at one of the fairs. I told him you can’t write history about New England without running into Indians. He agreed. But that just all happened by chance. I ended up falling in love with my Eli character. He was so much fun to write.
Tell me more about Pella, Iowa? Have you been there? My grandparents came from the Netherlands, and while I’ve not been to Pella, I am familiar with it as a place where many Dutch landed.
I did go to Pella to do research. It’s a very pretty town that still has a Dutch influence. I could have spent way more time there but the book was really about Maine. I wanted to be grounded in the area and their historical society had some videos. I bought a historical book about it that was written by a Scholte. It is called A stranger in a strange land.
Is the island based on Long Island? Although I thought there may be people living on the island in that period, but perhaps not quite yet. I’m amazed that the water was warm enough to swim in (brrr), in the novel.
The island is based on Long Island but in 1890 Long was not deserted. So I kind of left it loose. I also think islanders may not be happy if a bunch of readers show up and bombard our favorite spots. Alas I lost the battle and in book 3 Mariah is building a house on Long.
The water, LOL like I said, I’ve been here a long time and do swim in our frigid waters. The water is the warmest in September. Warmer by Mainer standards.
How was your experience in publishing your book (a friend of mine just published her second book with the same publisher). Where have you been selling your books?
My experience with Maine Authors Publishing has been fantastic. Otherwise, it was very hard to first figure out what the requirements are for each different publisher and even get them to look at the book. Submitting to get an agent is just as hard. For me, I’m not a professional writer or at least I’m a new writer and following the lingo of publishing that also constantly changed was disheartening.
The book is on Amazon which I think is a must. I am selling through The Maine Authors Website, my website, my Facebook page, word of mouth with groups I belong too, like even my high school page and a lot of fairs. Having a signing at Bookstores does well. Maine Authors has a spring and fall magazine of their new books for the bookstores to pick them up. This winter I will do a book club campaign then back to local events, libraries and more stores. I’m even going to brave the cruise ship shopping lines.
I notice you used the last name “Harford” for the lawyer in Portsmouth – did you use names of family and friends in your book? (I think I saw an Ellen in there too 😊)
Yes, naming the characters can be fun and sometimes challenging. Even if I don’t name people I know, sometimes I use their persona. It makes it a lot easier if the character’s persona is someone I know then I can predict how they would react. It is harder to create a fake persona and stay true to it.
Congratulations to Jeanne on her first novel, and we look reading the rest of the books in the trilogy!
How many have seen the original Mary Poppins movie! (hands go up)
How many have read all the Mary Poppins books? (not so much)
I admit to being a Mary Poppins fan, enjoying both the movies, and the books. Starting in 1934, P. L. Travers wrote eight books with Mary Poppins as the centerpiece to the stories. I happily absorbed each one (I think I was in my early 20s when I read them), and found them completely magical.
Mary Poppins cover
I recently had a chance to reconnect with Mary Poppins when my friend Susan shared her beloved copy of Mary Poppins, the first book in the series. Some of the stories overlap with the original movie, including “Laughing Gas” (which brings to mind the song, “I love to laugh“) and Bird Woman (which brings to mind “Feed the birds“) And the book starts out with “East Wind” (how Mary Poppins arrives) and “West Wind” (how Mary Poppins leaves). But there are more characters in the books, such as the twins, Barbara and John, the little brother and sister of Jane and Michael, who have adventures of their own. But Mary Poppins is the same – prim and proper, and somewhat vain, and “practically perfect in every way.”
Bird woman chapter
Pamela Lyndon Travers (1899-1996) is an interesting character herself. Born in Australia, she eventually ended up in London. During the second world war she worked for the British Ministry of Information. She also spent some time living among the Navajo, Hopi, and Pueblo peoples. In her later years she edited Parabola: the Magazine of Myth and Tradition. But mostly she’s known as the creator of Mary Poppins.
Jane, Barbara, John, Michael
The books were illustrated by Mary Shepherd, who did a marvelous job of bringing Mary Poppins to life in a visual way, not only in the illustrations in the book, but also on the end papers and covers. Her father, E. H. Shepherd, illustrated the Winnie-the-Pooh books by A. A. Milne, as well as the 1931 edition of Wind in the Willows, by Kenneth Grahame. He was initially approached to illustrate the Mary Poppins books, but he was too busy. Travers discovered Mary Shepherd’s work on a Christmas card, and hired her instead. And the rest of history!
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So, whether you picture Mary Poppins as Julie Andrews or Emily Blunt, or from the charming illustrations of Mary Shepherd, she will be a special character in the genre of children’s books, that uplifts and brings a smile (or maybe a laugh that will make you rise up to the ceiling).
This was my favorite book of 2024 – a choice of the Long Island Community Library book group. The novel, based on the real life person of Maine midwife Martha Ballard, brings this late 18th century historical period in Maine history to life in such a vivid way, with humor, good writing, and exceptional storytelling. I was riveted!
This is an amazing true tale of three lads who sail a small sailboat in the early 20th century from Nova Scotia to Labrador. I read this book out loud to Michael and we both loved it – the writing, the story, the drama, the setting. Of course, I always wonder about books like this, that are written after the fact, with total recall of details and conversations. But still, a rollicking good yarn!
This book came into my life at the perfect time – I needed something light and delicious. I have mostly read Ruth Reichl’s non-fiction, but was eager to read this novel about a young American woman who experiences the culinary delights and experiences of Paris and the French countryside. I loved every page, and the characters and setting. I made me really want to go to France. It was also fun to read the author’s note about who in the book was real – it’s a good sign when a novel makes me want to do more research.
This wonderful book introduced me to an idea that was new to me: stability, especially in the concept of the Benedictine vow of stability. As someone who has been married to the same man for almost 30 years, lived in the same house for about 28 years, and has had the same job for over 27 years, this resonated with me. In my younger years I did move around a bit, and while I can still be somewhat restless, I am very content to stay in my home and community – and church! for the rest of my life. Evergreen is a very small island church, but there is a core group of us who show up every Sunday – I am so grateful for those who make that commitment. When we did our independent studies at Evergreen last summer I shared this book, and the concepts within, with my church group. I found the book to be very readable, insightful, and charming.
I came across this title somewhere and recommended it to the Long Island Community Library to purchase. I am so glad they did, because I ended up really enjoying his wonderful tale of a young woman who arrives in a small outport village in Newfoundland to teach French at the local school. Definitely my kind of book! I especially love the setting – we have been to Newfoundland three times and it’s one of my all-time favorite places on the planet. The author did an amazing job of telling this story, based on her experiences. She hit the right notes of plot, characters, pacing, wit, and the local flavor. I’m also very glad this book is in paperback, as it was perfect to carry on my commute on the ferry.
We had recently read James Stavridis’ The sailor’s bookshelf : fifty books to know the sea, and this was one of the ones he recommended. I was more familiar with Rachel Carson’s Silent Spring, although I had never read it. But this book, originally written in 1951, was so elegantly and beautifully written, and sheer poetry at times. I read it out loud to Michael, and we loved the enchanting names of geographic places, real and imagined. It’s a timeless classic (although interesting to think of the knowledge we’ve gained since then about the “sea around us”).
Paula Johnson recommended this book to me – I had read “News of the world,” and didn’t love it as much as most people did. But this book is truly magnificent – the characters, setting, and writing. Perhaps it was the music that really pulled it all together. I play the “fiddle” (violin) – poorly, but I still love playing. So this book, about the adventures of a fiddler at the end of the Civil War, really struck a chord. After I finished it, I found out that Simon and Doris were characters in “News of the World,” so I may have to look at that book again to find out how they first appear. I’m so glad the author created this book around them. It was fun to learn that Paulette Giles is also a musician and plays with a band.
Like The Paris novel, this book came at the right time in my life, when I needed something light and lovely. The characters are wonderful, and the chemistry between the two main characters, Delphinium, a florist, and Elliot, the director of the assisted living facility in Moonberry Lake, was engaging. I loved the seniors who camp out at Delphinium’s flower shop, and the overall warmth and generosity of spirit in the novel. I’m a sucker for most novels about flowers, and people who love flowers, and this one hit the right notes.
Currently on exhibit at the Long Island Community Library is another brilliant display from the clever mind of Karen Boss, the small glass case curator: Borrowed Christmas, which showcases part or all of creches or nativity sets belong to Long Islanders. This is a great exhibit on many levels, especially for those of us who have incomplete creches, or have figures that are broken. But put together we can create a complete creche – very symbolic of life itself. Not all of us have perfect creches, or perfect lives, so it’s lovely to think of a mismatched ragtag group gathering around the baby Jesus.
Nigerian creche scene
Also, for those who celebrate Epiphany, the wise men are often placed far from the creche, and as Epiphany draws near, so do the wise men. As Advent progresses, through the birth of Jesus, the scene is incomplete until all draw near, and 12 days later, all are together, worshipping the Christ Child.
The wise men, waiting their turn
To make this display even more interesting we have a menorah. Even though Hanukkah isn’t the Jewish Christmas, there are definitely connections that could be made, to add an extra layer to the month of December.
Festival of lights
Come see these lovely manger scene figurines and menorah, contributed by Carlene Barron, Rose Barter, Cheryl Boss, Karen Boss, Mary Caliandro, Candy Dale/Jim Schine, Linda McCann, Nancy Noble, Diane Watts, Betsy Whitman, and Dave Singo (see the December 2018 blog about Dave Singo’s lovely exhibit of his ceramic nativity scene that he created).
The Holy Family
A small library on an island on the coast of Maine
