Page 14 - Newsletter_Spring_2022
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HOULTON, MAINE
A Place for Memories
By Richard Nickerson, '81
Editor’s Note: Wow! What a hit this column has been.
Enjoy this, Rick’s second installment of his Houlton/
Aroostook County books review. Lots of great summer
reading here for those lazy days at the lake.
One Last Lie
Since the publication of the previous newsletter, I Paul Doiron - Minotaur Books, 2020
have been overwhelmed by the number of people
who have reached out to me. Some suggested books This book was recommended by a fellow alumnus.
for me to read but most just wanted to comment on It’s a fictional murder mystery centered within the
how wonderful it was to find so many books featuring Maine Warden Service. Most of the story takes place
Houlton. Here are three more to put on your reading in the St. John Valley around Eagle Lake and Fort
list. Some are available through local book stores and Kent. There are, however, some pivotal moments
all are available through Amazon. Happy Reading! in the plot that happen in Houlton. While not
mentioned by name, you will recognize places like
The Street Lights Were My Curfew the Shiretown Motor Lodge, Traveler’s (yes, I realize
Bob Fields, 2011 I’m dating myself) as well the drive along Route 1.
The title, alone, will bring back memories of our Once I picked up this book, I couldn’t put it down.
It’s a suspenseful story that plays like a movie as you
youth. It brings thoughts of a, seemingly, more mentally picture the landscape. The author knows the
innocent time. As mentioned in my previous article, County well and I found it helpful and interesting to
Bob Fields is a favorite writer among Houlton readers. keep my Maine Gazeteer close by. You may not know
Bob has many stories about growing up in Houlton the characters by name, but I promise you that you
that he loves to share. This book is not a novel. It’s will recognize all of them by different names. Put this
a collection of essays and short stories by various one on your summer reading list!
authors.
Because it’s not a novel and the chapters are not Deer Hunting in Paris
connected, it’s an easy book to read over time. You can Paula Young Lee - Solas House, 2013
set it aside and easily come back to it later. This book was recommended to me by Nancy Ketch,
In his introduction, Fields invites the reader to… ’82. Paula Young Lee is not a graduate of HHS, but
…discover a new game played in the potato fields at did live in Houlton in the 1970s when her father was
the Cyr farm. the minister at the Methodist Church. This book is
…sip a cherry coke at French’s Drug store an autobiographical story that tells “how a preacher’s
…play a round of eight ball at Brown’s Pool Hall. daughter refuses to get married, travels the world, and
…enjoy a lavish night out at the Elks Ball. learns to shoot.”
…experience the terror of the Winter of 1998 This part of her story starts while she is in a café in
And many other adventures. Paris, France and is matched on a dating site with
Since there are several authors, the stories take place someone in Paris…Maine! It’s a wonderful story
in different time periods. Some are fiction and some of her journey from vegetarian into the world of
are non-fiction. Overall, it’s great collection of what it carnivorous hunting culture. Her challenges are very
was like to “come of age” in the County.
real and very relatable. This is an extremely thought-
provoking book. One part that stood out for me
was the epilogue when she returned to Houlton and
described the differences in the town since she had
left. Highly recommended!
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