A Year on Monhegan Island
Grade 4-6-This island, 10 miles off the Maine coast, has sustained a way of life that appears to be the stuff of storybooks. The yearly cycle of life on Monhegan, which has a population of 75 in the winter and 600 (not counting tourists) in the summer, was observed and recorded in 1990. Inhabitants are shown and quoted, and historical information is tucked gracefully into the narrative. The history, politics, and future of the lobstering industry are given, with quotes from fourth generation lobstermen. Living on an island accessible only by boat is special for many reasons, and mainlanders often imagine it to be a romantic existence. That is partly true; but Dean's well-balanced realism and her excellent, full-color photographs give a true account without robbing readers of the fascination that would draw them to this subject in the first place.Carolyn Jenks, First Parish Unitarian Church, Portland, MECopyright 1995 Reed Business Information, Inc.