The country of the pointed firs (original 1896; edition 1951)

Life is busy in the 21st century. Much of it is our own making, but that's how we live. We need information now; can't wait 10 seconds for the page to load; too long, didn't read; kids going in different directions. I just seem to go, go, go. Go, dog, go! Reading is a way to slow things down, but I often read mysteries, or thrillers. Books that engage me and have me frantically turning pages so I don't fall asleep, because if I stop, I might fall asleep. However, as I read The Country of the Pointed Firs, this small, charming book, I could feel my body slow down and my brain slow down as I adjusted to life as told in small tales from a 19th century fishing village on the shores of Maine.

There isn't much to this story, not really a plot, just collected stories from the unnamed narrator as she spends a summer in Dunnett Landing, meeting friends and family of her landlady. There is herb gathering, family reunions, and boat trips for the day - depending on the wind direction. There are stories from sea-faring days, and even laments of how life is changing by the end of the 1800s. But overall, there is a peacefulness, and calm that comes with Mrs Todd and the stories related in this quiet book. I'm so delighted to have discovered this gem.

on entertaining:
Tact is after all a kind of mindreading, and my hostess held the golden gift. p59

on old friends:
There, it does seem so pleasant to talk with an old acquaintance that know what you know. Conversation's got to have some root in the past, or else you've got to explain every remark you make, an' it wears a person out. p73

on life near an ocean:
[The view] gave a sudden sense of space, for nothing stopped the eye or hedged one in, - that sense of liberty in space and time which great prospects always give. p58 ( )

A quiet, peaceful read, The Country of the Pointed Firs by Sarah Orne Jewett conveys both a timeless quality and a feel of yesterday. Exploring the value women place in the friendship of other women, along with the strong community ties that existed in rural regions, this short read is one to savour.

A young woman writer spends her summer in the small coastal Maine town of Dunnet Landing. She develops a friendship with her landlady, Mrs. Todd, and through her meets other women of the area. These women tell stories of both the inhabitants of Dunnet and the surrounding islands, and their vivid descriptions of both people and places naturally includes the beauty and ruggedness of the country.

There is no direct plot, instead the book consists of the weaving together of these stories. These reminiscences tell of a simple world with straight forward values that encourage the reader to dream of their own yesterdays. Originally published in 1896, this book still resonates with spiritual quality and merit in our busy lives today. ( )

Times are changing in 19th century Maine as a visitor to the village of Dunnet Landing discovers while with various area residents and hearing their stories. I loved her descriptions of the area, particularly those of the landscape and vegetation. I loved this short little book. It's one that I'm certain to go back and revisit later. ( )

I finished Sarah Orne Jewett's delightful view of 19th century Maine village life and have tearfully left Dunnet Landing where the constant interest and intercourse ... linked the far island and these scattered farms into a golden chain of love and dependence. The people are dependent on each other, but surprisingly independent in their every day lives with 80 year old rug beaters and 60 year old sailors. These are strong, loving women - and men - with some mystical leanings but mostly humanistic and community oriented. This is the perfect book for the Thanksgiving season. ( )

This is a beautifully written book that almost makes you feel as if you have been set down in rural Maine in the late 1800's. The narrator is a house guest of Mrs. Almira Todd, a resident of Dunnette Landing and an expert in medicinal herbs and other home remedies. As we meet more residents of this small rural town, very little happens (a visit to Mrs. Todd's mother, a family reunion), but we get a rich view of the town and its people. The book is also beautifully written. Consider this description of a feast at a family reunion:

"There was an elegant ingenuity displayed in the form of pies which delighted my heart."

Or this description of aging:

"So we always keep the same hearts, though our outer framework fails and shows the touch of time."

Or this line about Mrs. Todd's elderly mother getting into a wagon:

"Whatever doubts and anxieties I may have had about the inconvenience of the Begg's high wagon for a person of Mrs. Blackett's age and shortness, they were happily overcome by the aid of a chair and her own valiant spirit."

I have to admit that at times, spoiled perhaps by today's page-turners, I got impatient with this slim volume. But when I took a breath, set back, and savored the words, I thoroughly enjoyed this beautiful description of lives well-lived. ( )