SIMON HASTINGS

As authentic Maine as even the best of the crop of down east stories written by R.P.T. Coffin, Mary Ellen Chase etc. But this time it is a story of the Maine of the interior, the little village of Council Rock, the lumbering, and the people themselves. The publishers call it a period novel. Rather is it timeless Maine. The story is set in the time of the Civil War, but there is very little history. In spite of fires, accidents and death, the story runs quietly from Simon's babyhood to his manhood, and the feud with his step-brothers is a seething undercurrent, rather than an active force. One remembers, after finishing it, the pleasant friendliness, the everyday amusements, and the quiet love story of Simon and Debby. Even the unpleasant details are told with that restraint so typical of the people themselves. There may not be enough suspense to hold the average reader, but for those who enjoy quiet, restrained, old-fashioned reading, this should find wide appeal. And of course for those who know Maine's North Country.