Literary Landmarks in New England; Tour 9 Legendary Locations to Literature

Literature fans might want to see where famed writers Louisa May Alcott, Herman Melville, Samuel Clemens and Henry David Thoreau composed their most influential works. Enjoy these sites as individual day trips of on a literary pilgrimage through the area to satisfy your curiosity and find your own inspiration.

The Harriet Beecher Stowe Center in Hartford Connecticut is where this author lived from 1873 until she died in 1896. Stowe is most regarded for writing Uncle Tom's Cabin, however she wrote over thirty books.Uncle Tom's Cabin challenged the nation to really think about slavery and still resonates with many as a great work of literature and protest. The center has her spindle, rare manuscripts, books and several kinds of personal artifacts on display. There are specialized tours available for each season as well as dedicated tours for children and garden fans.

The Mark Twain House in Hartford Connecticut is where Samuel Clemens, better known as Mark Twain, lived from 1874 to 1891. He wrote The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn, The Adventures of Tom Sawyer,The Prince and The Pauper and A Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court while living in this home. The site houses a museum with rare manuscripts, artwork and personal artifacts from Clemens life. There is a two thousand square foot gallery with exhibits, which are changed regularly. There are daily tours and special scheduled events throughout the year. Tickets for seniors are $13, $15 for adults and $9 for children between six and sixteen. Parking is ample and free. While the main floor and museum is handicap accessible the full tour of the home includes navigating three flights of stairs.

Monte Cristo Cottage in New London is the last Connecticut stop in the literary landmark legacy. This home is where Nobel Prize winning playwright Eugene O'Neill spent his formative years. He set two of his most famous plays in the area, 'Long Day's Journey Into Night" and his comedy "Ah! Wilderness". There are multimedia exhibits, memorabilia and artifacts on display. The site is run by the O'Neill Theater and is only open from Memorial Day through Labor Day each year, so I suggest always checking ahead before planning to visit the museum.

The Emily Dickinson Museum in Amherst Massachusetts is comprised of two separate homes. The Homestead is Dickinson's birthplace, and where she called home for her entire life. The historic home next door was home to her brother Austin and his family. The furniture in both homes is true to the era and lifestyle of the Dickinson family. There are three different tours available for visitors, each to fit different sets of interests. The site is closed in January and February as well as on a few holidays. The homes are both handicap accessible on the first floor, but due to the historical nature of the grounds there are no elevators for access to the second stories and air quality may be an issue for those with respiratory complications.

Longfellow House in Cambridge Massachusetts was home to Henry Wadsworth Longfellow from 1837 to 1882. The site has books, portraits and historic furnishings on display. The house was also headquarters for General George Washington during the Siege of Boston in July 1775 through April 1776. This site offers many layers of literary and historic value for visitors. With this in mind there are a variety of tours available, I suggest calling ahead to see when tours for your interests are being given. If you are planning on including this stop keep in mind that the only on site parking is for handicapped visitors. However, there is abundant metered parking nearby.

Herman Melville's Arrowhead in Pittsfield Massachusetts offers visitors a glimpse at the view that is said to have inspired the white whale in Moby Dick. The view from his study window is the imposing Mount Graylock. Visitors can tour the authors two story home and the restored barn where he enjoyed conversations with Nathaniel Hawthorne. Learn about Melville's daily life, journeys at sea and enjoy walking the same paths he once trod. The site is open from Memorial Day through Columbus Day for daily tours, however off season tours are available by reservation. 

The Orchard House in Concord Massachusetts is where Louisa May Alcott lived from 1858 to 1877. Visitors can see the small desk shaped like a half moon where she wrote Little Women. Tours of the home really make scenes from the book come alive. Guided tours of the Alcott family home offer visitors a chance to see objects of great importance to the family as well as a home that still looks much like it did while they lived there. This site is open year round, but hours vary depending on the season.

Ralph Waldo Emerson Memorial House in Concord Massachusetts is a frame home in which Emerson lived most of his adult life and wrote Self Reliance and The American Scholar. He was a great influence of other American thinkers in his work and lectures on morality, the abolition of slavery and personal responsibility. Personal artifacts of Emerson are on display in the house. The site is open from the middle of April through October each year, although calling ahead is advised. Unfortunately the home is not handicap accessible.

Robert Frost Stone House Museum in South Shaftsbury Vermont was Frost's home from 1920 through 1929. It is where he composed "Stopping by Woods on a Snowing Evening" which was part of his New Hampshire volume of poetry which won his first Pulitzer Prize. The timbered barn which Frost had written about in his poetry lies within the seven acre estate. Exhibits and lectures give visitors the feeling that they really know Frost and how he lived. There is also space dedicated to the work of J. J. Lankes, who did the beautiful wood cut images that decorated Frost's books in the 1920's. The museum is only minutes away from Frost's grave in Bennington Vermont. The site is open from tours daily from May though November.

Book Review: Wild Thunder by Cassie Edwards

Wild Thunder by Cassie Edwards is a historical romance. Hannah Kody came to her brother's ranch in the Kansas Territory to be his eyes, as his sight was failing fast. Yet his misfortune couldn't dim the joy she found in the wide vistas of the Western plains. And the excitement she found in the presence of Strong Wolf. For Strong Wolf, Hannah was supposed to be the enemy, allied not only to the settlers he distrusted, but to the brutal foreman of her brother's ranch. He felt only sorrow could come of their attraction, until the day Hannah rode to his lodge, fell into his arms, and launched a journey neither had the desire to deny.

Wild Thunder is a well researched and detailed historical. Hannah was a character I thought I would love, and the reason I picked up the book. She desired freedom in a time when women had little power and few choices. getting to leave a convent to join her ailing brother was a mixed blessing for her. Strong Wolf was a fiercely honorable and peaceful man, struggling to protect his people. Hannah's brother Chuck was barely fleshed out as a character, and the rest of her family was even less dynamic. I found some of the descriptions of the history and tensions to be interesting, but found the whole thing to be a little too complicated and drawn out. I realize that this was the first book in a new romance series, so some of the detail might have been to build up for future books, but I was ready for a conclusion about halfway through the story. Hannah and Strong Wolf find each other, admit and give into their feelings, and promise to marry about that time. However, more and more other things happen, other characters get introduced, and while it was reasonably well done I just did not think all of it was necessary. 

Wild Thunder was a highly detailed and well researched historical. For those that want a deeper and more layered read than this might be the book you are looking for. I went into the book expecting a lighter read, which might have been my own fault, and found myself skimming through conversations and five page sex scenes. i was just done with the story about half way through, but felt the need to finish it anyway. 

Early Book Review: The Boy Who Knew Everything by Victoria Forester

The Boy Who Knew Everything is a middle grade novel by Victoria Forester. It is currently scheduled for release on October 27, 2015.  This is a companion book to The Girl Who Could Fly, which I have not read. But, Now I want to because there were definitely background to the story that I really wanted to have. I still greatly enjoyed the read, but felt like I was missing something important several times through out the read. Just be prepared to want to go back and read, and then wait for book three to be released. 

There is a prophecy about a girl who can fly and a boy who knows everything. The prophecy says that they have the power to bring about great change. The boy is Conrad Harrington III. The girl is Piper McCloud. They need their talents now, more than ever, if they are to save the world, and themselves. Conrad is the main character this time around. His dad is the president of the United States and does not want a child quite this smart and Conrad away. After escaping a 'special school' Conrad ends up on Piper's farm. Before long other kids from the school, who are also special, join them and form a group that help out when things go wrong (like hurricanes). It turns out that someone seems to be causing these disasters, but who and why? 

The Boy Who Knew Everything is a story with so much going on that it is hard to describe without giving away some of the joy that comes from discovering it on your own. Conrad has always been too smart for his father to handle, and he thought he was over that. However, as events add up Conrad is forced into action. The band of misfit kids, all unique and wonderful, come together to make positive changes and help others without being noticed. However, there are things going on that are larger that any of them might expect. Conrad faces big changes, and Piper occasionally gets pushed back to the sidelines as readers follow Conrad's exploits. I liked the working of Conrad's mind and the wide variety of conflicts he, and the group as a whole, face. Thankfully there was a certain amount of resolution, but many questions that I want answered. The book is a wonderful set up for even bigger things in the next installment of the series, and left me more than a little eager to know what was going to happen next.

The Boy Who Knew Everything is a well done second book to a series. I need to back track and read The Girl Who Could Fly, to fill in the gaps from the days the kids were in the 'school'. But I have a feeling I will have plenty of time to do that before book three is released. 

Book Review: Love Games by Eden Scott

Love Games by Eden Scott is a novella featuring a romance between two men. Technology-challenged historian Regis is on a mission of mercy for his miserably pregnant cousin, Penny. She needs a diversion and the only thing that will satisfy is the latest version of a video game, Dead Knights at Castle Kill. When Regis braves the aisles of a video game retailer, he is swept off his feet by Mars, the tall, dark, and gorgeous salesclerk who works there. But there's very little chance that such a savvy gamer would ever notice a man who can barely use his computer. Convinced he needs to fake some gamer knowledge to bridge the gap, Regis is determined to make it work. 

Love Games is a short but sweet story. Regis is a responsible academic with no love for video games. However, when his mission of mercy brings him into Mars’s orbit he is swept away. He is willing to do just about anything to connect with Mars, except tell him that he is not a video game fan, never mind the master gamer that he has lead Mars to believe he is. His cousin Peggy urges him to come clean, but Regis doubts his value and continues the deception. Will Mars still be interested is he discovers Regis’s lie?

Love Games is a novella, which I missed when reading the description. I think it did a good job of covering the vulnerable and self-doubting side most of us carry inside- and how so many people think that they need to deceive to be considered good enough. I enjoyed the story, and the realistic use of personal doubts and fears that anyone and everyone can relate to.  

Book Review: My Family Tree and Me by Dušan Petričić

My Family Tree and Me is a two sided picturebook by Dušan Petričić. This book is a beautiful and simple introduction to the concept of family ancestry. It uses two stories in one to explore a small boy's family tree, the family story of one boy's family from his father's side starting from the front of the book, and that of his mother's side starting from the back of the book. Four previous generations are introduced for each, from his great-great-grandparents to his parents. The grand finale in the center of the book reveals the boy's entire extended family, shown in one drawing with all the members from both sides identified by their relationship to him.

My Family Tree and Me is a wonderful way to introduce the idea of a family tree, and the names for the various relatives, to readers of all ages. The artwork does a wonderful job of adding details and humor for each pairing of ancestors and allows children reading to look for clues and make connections. I really liked the fact that the family described is fairly culturally diverse. It includes European and Asian ancestors, and it is fun to see the melding and passing on of physical characteristics from each generation to the next.

My Family Tree and Me is a wonderful book for describing how family trees and generations of family are formed. It could be a great discussion starter for families or classrooms about what we call the members of our family, the cultural make up of our families, and how to build a visual representation of our own family tree. I think this book would be a great addition to classroom libraries and offers a wide range of common core and other activity tie-ins.

Early Book Review: The Peddler’s Road by Matthew Cody

The Peddler’s Road is a middle grade novel by Matthew Cody. This will be the first book in his new Secrets of the Pied Piper series, and is scheduled for release on October 27 2015. It is said that in the thirteenth century, in a village called Hamelin, a piper lured all but one of the town’s children away with his magical flute. Today tough, pink-haired Max and her little brother, Carter, are stuck in modern-day Hamelin with their father until they are also led away by the Piper to a place called the Summer Isle. There they meet the original stolen children, who haven’t aged a day and who have formed their own village, vigilantly guarded from the many nightmarish beings that roam the land. Their appearance may be the key to returning the lost children of Hamelin, and to going home themselves. However, in order to discover the secrets of the Piper, Max and Carter will have to set out on a mysterious quest down the dangerous Peddler’s Road.

The Peddler’s Road is the start to another great middle grade series from Matthew Cody. I really enjoyed the characters, Max is a spunky girl with a strong mind but growing through a period of many changes. Carter has always had challenges, and has faced them with intelligence and grace. Getting stolen away to the Summer Isle is no exception. The framework of folklore and magic woven through the story is wonderfully done, with each character getting enough detail and personality to bring them to life. My only complaint with the story is that when it ended I needed more. The story leaves so many loose ends, definitely a cliff hanger that need the sequels to complete the story in my opinion. I love series that give at least some resolution, while still urging readers to keep reading. I dis not feel that I got quite enough of that resolution to keep me happy, instead I got another layer of plot and complication that needs resolution in the future installments. 

The Peddler’s Road is as well written and engaging as I expect from Cody. I really liked the main characters, especially Max, and felt like they all had significant growth in the story. I was not happy with the inconclusive ending, but am likely to read the sequels because I need to know how they solve the huge problems they are facing.  

Early Book Review: First Time with a Highlander by Gwyn Cready

First Time with a Highlander is the second book in the Sirens of the Scottish Borderlands series by Gwyn Cready. This follow up to Just in Time for a Highlander is currently scheduled for release on October 6 2015. Although this is a sequel, the the story makes for a better read with the background of having read the first, you can easily catch on and enjoy this book without reading the first.

What do you get when you imbibe centuries-old whiskey-besides a hangover the size of the Highlands? If you're twenty-first century ad exec Gerard Innes, you get swept back to 18th-century Edinburgh and into the bed of a gorgeous, fiery redhead. Gerard has only a foggy idea what he and the lady have been up to, but what he does remember draws him into the most dangerous and exhilarating campaign of his life. Serafina Seonag Fallon's scoundrel of a fiancé has left her with nothing, and she's determined to turn the tables. If she can come up with a ringer, she can claim the cargo he stole from her. But the dashing man she summons from the future demands more than a night, and Serafina finds it easier to command the seas under her feet than the crashing waves he unleashes in her heart.

First Time with a Highlander is a solid sequel with great characters. Gerard is a modern man that pulls no punches. He has significant charm, and is used to getting his way all the time. He regularly uses his modern ideas of branding and marketing to help those around him, while garnering some profit for himself. However, he is not a wholly selfish man, he is dynamic and interesting as he tries to piece together what has happened, and what he would like to have happen for his future. Serafina is outspoken and unconventional, while trapped by the confines of the time. Everything she had, including her reputation have been taken from her by her former fiancee, and she is desperate to regain what is rightfully hers. Very little goes as planned, and there is plenty of adventure and suspense as the trail for her cargo leads her and Gerard into more trouble than anyone expected. I really found myself invested in the characters and eager to see how they found their happy ever after. I loved their bickering and heated interactions, although their more intimate moments were not as intense at their verbal exchanges. 

First Time with a Highlander is a satisfying read, with a good cast of characters and use of time travel. My only real complaint on finishing the story is how much I want the next book so I can see how Undine finds her happy ending. 

Book Review: Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... by Adam Mansbach, Alan Zwiebel

Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... by Adam Mansbach and Alan Zwiebelis is a middle grade novel. This is the start to a most unlikely pen pal relationship between thirteen-year-old Franklin Isaac Saturday (Ike) and Benjamin Franklin. Before the fateful extra credit assignment that started it all, Ike's life was pretty normal. He was avoiding the popularity contests of middle school, crushing hard on Clare Wanzandae and trying not roll his eyes at his stepfather, Dirk-the-Jerk's lame jokes. But all that changes when, in a successful effort to make Claire Wanzandae laugh, Ike mails his homework assignment to Ben Franklin and he writes back. Soon, things go awry. After Ike has an embarrassing moment of epic proportions in front of Claire involving a playground, non-alcoholic beer, and a lot of kettle corn, Ike decides he needs to find a way to win Claire back. With some help from his new friend, B-Fizzle, can Ike get the girl and make his mark in history?

I really wanted to like Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... but I had some serious issues with it. I might be out of touch, but I do not think the middle grade set is sneaking out of the house with stolen alcohol or having parties that include alcohol pilfered from their parent's liquor cabinets and games of spin the bottle. These things are framed in a way that makes them look normal at best, part of the cool kid activities at worst. The book is being marketed for 10 to 14 year olds, and I just do not think that this is quite appropriate. I would not want to even encourage this or normalize it for high school students, who are much more likely to have exposure or heard talk from friends about similar activities.

Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my... has some elements that I did like. I liked the idea of mailing a letter with an time appropriate stamp and having that mail reach a person from that time period. I liked that through the majority of the book readers, and the characters, are on the fence about if it is really happening or is someone, somehow is playing an trick. I like that Ike learns that he needs to be himself, and true to himself, in order for the people most important to him to trust him, and want to spend time with him. However, I found the disrespectful tone Ike often used, and the activities I found to be not age appropriate, really ruined the read for me. I think the concept has promise, and could have been done extremely well, but it failed here.  I was further frustrated when I pushed myself to finish the book only to have it end on a cliffhanger. 

I would not recommend Benjamin Franklin: Huge Pain in my. I found it frustrating on several levels, and rather sad because of it. 

Early Book Review: A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas by Kim Redford

A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas is the first book in the Smokin’ Hot Cowboys series by Kim Redford. It is currently scheduled for release on October 6 2015. Trey Duvall, a rancher and local firefighter, is out of luck. His ranch has suffered from several 'accidental' fires and there is no explanation in sight. All he wants for the upcoming holiday is to get to the bottom of this mystery, but what he gets instead is hotter than any ranch fire when he meets city-girl Misty Reynolds. Misty is there to investigate the fires as well, but for another party. Neither are looking forward to Christmas, but they just might find some real holiday joy. 

A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas is a fun and suspenseful read. We meet the two main characters in a fast and intense battle against a fire, and readers quickly get to feel like they know them. I really liked the characters, and that they were both very dynamic. Misty has some serious issues surrounding fire and Christmas, so she is struggling from the get go as she comes to a small town to discover who might be setting fires on her client's property. Trey is a victim of the far too frequent fires, and happens to be one of the local volunteer firefighters. He is not only working to protect the safety and property of his neighbors, but his own family's ranch as well. There are several suspicious characters and lots of fun romance to be had. A page turn and great read for a cold autumn or winter night. 

A Cowboy Firefighter for Christmas is a highly entertaining read. I found myself invested in both the main characters, as well as the entire town. This was a great first book for a new series and I am looking forward to seeing who is next up to find romance. 

Book Review: The Highwayman by Kerrigan Byrne

The Highwayman is the first book in the Victorian Rebels series by Kerrigan Byrne. Dorian Blackwell, the Blackheart of Ben More, is a ruthless villain. Scarred, hard-hearted, Dorian will stop at nothing to wreak vengeance on those who’ve wronged him. The widow Farah Leigh Mackenzie is no exception, and soon Dorian whisks the beautiful lass away to his sanctuary in the wild Highlands. But Farah is no one’s puppet. She possesses a powerful secret, and when being held captive by Dorian proves to be the only way to keep Farah safe from those who would see her dead, Dorian makes Farah a scandalous proposition: marry him for protection in exchange for using her secret to help him exact revenge on his enemies. But what the Blackheart of Ben More never could have imagined is that Farah has terms of her own, igniting a tempestuous desire that consumes them both. Could it be that the woman he captured is the only one who can touch the black heart he’d long thought dead?

The Highwayman begins with Farah as a child in an orphanage, giving the readers a deep look into her personality and first love. Quickly readers see her as an adult, making her own way in the world and quite respectfully. When Dorian and Farah meet it is not under the best of circumstances, and they do not get better for a significant part of the book. This works well because we get to see Farah as an adult, a strong minded and intelligent one to boot. We also get to see glimpses of Dorian and his men, and peeks into the past that have a huge influence on the pair’s present. I really enjoyed the interactions and practicality of both characters. I will say that I though the obvious twist was done in a way that had me doubting my assumptions through our the book, even though I was positive that I was right. The story was very well told, and had me very eager to see what would happen next. While the story concludes with no cliffhangers, and pretty perfectly, the writing style and story have me watching for the next book in the series.

The Highwayman is a solid and entertaining read. I was so involved that I read it very quickly. I wish I could have slowed down and enjoyed it a bit more, but the promise of more to come keeps me happy. The story is not perfect, but its characters are very well done, and I was deeply invested in the story.