Jim Coogan

Jim Coogan and Jack Sheedy have collaborated before, and in this collection they take some of their favorite tales of Cape Cod history and lore, organizing them topically.

I read this in dribs and drabs while traveling in Cape Cod. The beginning was a little rough going for me, in part because it was read in the midst of traveling and making accommodations and deciding where to go, and also because I don't know a lot of Cape history to begin with and found it a little dry. As I kept going and show more had more time to read, I began to be more and more intrigued by the stories of the Cape, from the people of Orleans repelling a German attack in World War 2 to the women who went sailing with their husbands. One story of a "witch" makes a strange comment about her being nicknamed "Goodie" - this was a fairly common term of respect for women at the time (though it denotes a lower class than "Mistress"), which made me wonder about the historical accuracy of, well, everything since there are no source notes. It was a fun way to get acquainted with the places I was visiting, however, so I'm not sorry I read it. show less