I asked a group of Maine guides, “What’s your all-time favorite outdoor book?” I’ve compiled their replies here, grouped by category, not by rank. This should get us through to spring…
Fiction:
The River Why by James Duncan (1983) Get into some comfy clothes and settle into a great read. Then, check out the movie!
Memoir:
Early Love and Brook Trout by John Ford (2000) Beautiful watercolor paintings accompany this poetic memoir.
Desert Solitaire by Edward Abbey (1968) Abbey is called “the Thoreau of the West.” Thought-provoking and philosophical, he writes about his experiences as a park ranger in Arches National Park in the 1950s. Really interesting!
Nine Mile Bridge by Helen Hamlin (1945) This is a quiet read, not a page-turner, but entertaining. Hamlin paints rich, detailed pictures of what life in the Maine woods and at logging camps was like. It also shows how people made do with very little and how tough they were. (My pick)
Suddenly the Cider Didn’t Taste So Good by John Ford (2012) Reading this book is like sitting down around a campfire with a master storyteller. Very funny, but also poignant and tender.
Essays and Anthologies:
American Earth by Bill McKibbon (editor) (2008) A collection of environmental pieces, by a wide range of authors including Thoreau and P.T. Barnum. Everyone I’ve talked to who has read this book describes it as inspiring or thought-provoking. You may want to purchase this one, as it is over a thousand pages long.
Instructional:
Bowhunting’s Whitetail Masters: The Techniques, Secrets and Successes of the Most Skilled Whitetail Bowhunters in America by Dan Bertalan (1992) It doesn’t matter how long you’ve been a bowhunter, you will learn so much from this book. There’s information on shooting, deer behavior, and information by region. Full of insights! (John’s pick)
Children’s Books: In all three of these books, the main characters are children who live on their own for a while in the wilderness without adults. no wonder we love these books!
My Side of the Mountain by Jean Craighead George (1959) I recommend for 3rd grade and up
Hatchet by Gary Paulsen (1986) The main character, Brian, has to survive in the Canadian wilderness after his plane crashes. Brian is also grappling with his parents’ divorce and his mother’s infidelity so it may not be appropriate for kids younger than 4th grade.
Two Little Savages by Ernest Thompson Setson (1903) The title is not PC but this is a classic!