6 New England-based books to finish summer and bring in fall
Three local librarians provide their picks.
You don’t have to travel far in New England to stumble across iconic spots portrayed in the region’s rich literary history. From Make Way for Ducklings to Moby Dick, stories detailing life in New England have captured the imagination and attention of readers around the world. With so many gems to choose from, we turned to three local librarians for their book picks that epitomize New England. Below, six books — both old and new — to soak in during the final days of summer.Library: Boston Public LibraryExpert: Denise de Boer, Reader Services LibrarianPick: Walden by Henry David ThoreauYear published: 1854De Boer said she immediately thought of this American classic, which details the transcendentalist’s experience in the cabin he built near Walden Pond, as one of the most iconic books about New England. Published in 1854, she said the book has definitely endured the test of time. “People are still asking for it to this day,” she said. Pick: All Souls: A Family Story from Southieby Michael Patrick MacDonaldYear published: 1999This memoir is one that de Boer said has always stuck with her. It chronicles the author’s childhood in South Boston’s Old Colony housing project in the 70s and 80s. “It’s just heartbreaking,” she said. “It’s just brutal — the life at that time, that those people led.”Library: Cambridge Public LibraryExpert: LyndsayForbes, Acquisitions LibrarianPick:The Boston Girl by Anita DiamantYear published: 2014Forbes said what makes this work of historical fiction so interesting is the many real places in the Boston area that are mentioned in the novel. The story follows the life of a girl born to immigrant parents in Boston’s North End in 1900. “It’s a good look at Boston throughout the changing times in the this woman’s life,” Forbes said. Pick:Shucked: Life on a New England Oyster Farmby Erin Byers MurrayYear published: 2011Forbes recommends this personal narrative by food and lifestyle writer Erin Byers Murray about the year she spent working for on an oyster farm in Duxbury, Massachusetts. She said the book is part memoir about Murray’s experience with Island Creek Oysters, part history of oyster farming. “It’s good for people who are into food but kind of want to learn a little bit about the history and a good memoir of getting into something that is very different from people’s everyday life,” Forbes said.Library: Newton Free LibraryExpert: Nancy Johnson, Reference SupervisorPick: Little Womenby Louisa May AlcottYear published: 1868Johnson said the presence of this New England classic in the children’s, teen, and adult collections at the library is a testament of its enduring popularity. While the story of the March sisters is set in the 1800s, is essentially a tale of family, she said.“It could take place now with the same sibling rivalries, the same stories about overcoming adversities,” Johnson said.Pick: Maineby J. Courtney SullivanYear published: 2011This novel, which chronicles what happens when three generations of a family returns to their Maine summer home, is a perfect summer read, Johnson said. The personalities and dynamics that play out before the reader will be recognizable to anyone who has spent time with family in a vacation home, she said.“There are more complications in terms of relationships and where they are in their own lives,” she said of the story.
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