Maine Musing: Two Novels & A Drama Series

SUMMER READING 

SIBLINGS IN THE POSTWAR DUTCH COUNTRYSIDE :  The Safekeep by Yael Van der Wouden

Van der Wouden (theguardian.com)

Published in 2024, The Safekeep was shortlisted for the Booker Prize and selected for many best-book-of-the-year lists.  It’s 1961, fifteen years after the end of WWII, and Isabel lives alone in the house she shared with her parents and her two brothers, Louis older, and Henrik, younger.  She follows a strict daily routine, seldom goes out, seems to have no friends, and interacts only with her maid, Neelke, and a few assorted relatives.  Her closeted single life reminded me of some of Anita Brookner’s characters.

Louis, who specializes in short term relationships with one woman after another, brings his latest girlfriend, Eva, to the house for tea. Isabel’s initial response to Eva is strong and very negative.  But Isabel allows Eva to stay with her when Louis must go abroad for work.  

Torn up by emotions she doesn’t understand, Isabel’s control breaks and, with Eva, she acts on long-suppressed desire.  But there is more to each woman’s past yet to be revealed after Eva leaves.  Bringing together the significance of one’s home, the sobering realities of life for Jews after the war, and the desire for connection with another, it’s a powerful, erotic, and compelling novel.  Highly recommended!

This is Van der Wouden’s first novel. For more about the books that inspired her journey to becoming an author, check out this article in The Guardian. (~JWFarrington)

A LOLLIPOP: Last Letters of Sally & Walter by Cammie McGovern

Cammie McGovern has written several books for children and young adults, but the Last Letters of Sally and Walter is her first novel for adults.  Sally is a new resident at Golden Grove, a senior retirement community, and she is anxious about making friends and fitting in.  A retired schoolteacher, she ventures forth to join the Scrabble Club, only to discover it mostly disbanded with organizer Walter eager for a game.  He’s a bit of a curmudgeon, but they hit it off, and he coaches her and encourages her to enter a Scrabble tournament. 

Scrabble is an early, fun focus of this novel, but both Sally and Walter have adult sons with issues they must confront.  As Sally and Walter’s friendship deepens, they must also learn to trust each other enough to share honestly about their past lives and the health challenges each faces.

McGovern realistically captures what it’s like to move to a senior community, and the novel is thoughtful, tender, funny at points, and even sweet.  If you like Scrabble, you’ll enjoy it, and if you’re over 70 with an open mind, you’ll find yourself cheering on Sally and Walter.  Recommended!  (~JWFarrington)

WATCHING: BINGEING ON A RAGS TO RICHES SAGA

A Woman of Substance (Britbox)

Young Emma (radiotimes.com)

A Woman of Substance, based on the novels of Barbara Taylor Bradford, is a new 8-part series.  Call it the TV equivalent of a beach read; it’s full of high drama like a soap opera.  In 1911, Emma Harte is a poor, mistreated attractive young maid who works for the rich, yet dysfunctional, Fairlie family.  In the 1970s, as the series opens, Emma Harte is a dynamo in Manhattan, extremely rich and the successful head of Harte Enterprises.   

The series traces Emma from her poor beginnings and her misguided love for Edwin Fairlie, to opening a dress shop and then a food emporium, to her vow to succeed and get revenge on the entire Fairlie family.  This family is no gem.  Adele Fairlie has mental issues, her husband Adam is dallying with his sister-in-law Olivia, older son Gerald is feckless and a gambler, and only younger son Edward seems somewhat solid. 

The Chief Penguin and I watched the entire series in the course of a week.  It’s wild, not subtle in the least (plenty of sex and abuse to go around) but still fun entertainment. With her drive and her determination, you can’t help but root for Emma, even though she’s bent on destruction. The Emma Harte series ultimately consisted of eight novels published between 1979 and 2021.  I recall reading at least the first several of them.

Maine Moments: Rockland Outing

ART AT THE FARNSWORTH

Rockland, an hour or so north of Southport, is a charming town with some intriguing little shops and a variety of small restaurants plus a movie theater.  We usually head up here for just the art museum and lunch, but we should really return sometime and dally in the shops.  Maybe next year.

The Farnsworth Art Museum is home to an expansive collection of art by several generations of the Wyeth family. Lots of paintings and drawings by Andrew Wyeth, but also the works of his father, N. C., and his son, Jamie.  This year’s featured exhibit, while presenting some of Andrew Wyeth’s paintings, focuses on the role his wife Betsy had in selecting buildings to rehab as homes or studios and her hand in designing the interiors.  The exhibit is entitled, By Design: The Worlds of Betsy James Wyeth.  It’s a different approach to the collection, but I didn’t find it as engaging or successful as some other recent exhibits.

I was more interested in the walls that showcased works by other Maine artists, lesser-known ones in some cases, who visited Maine or were part of one of the several art schools or artist colonies that sprang up in the late 19th and early 20thcenturies.  Some of these artists had works in the 1913 Armory Show or were exhibited at other small galleries in Manhattan. The three paintings below were painted in Maine between 1926 and 1928.

Whitecaps, Beatrice Whitney Van Ness
Wave, Night, Georgia O’Keeffe
City of Bath, Marguerite Zorach

On the lower floor, we reveled in the color and energy of the works of Portland-based sculptor Benjamin Spalding.  Go Bang! showcases several of his life-size figures constructed of wood, metal, and paint. They are lively, unusual, and eye-catching.  Diva Dancer 2 is poised at the entrance to this gallery and shown below.

Diva Dancer 2, Benjamin Spalding, 2026

I was also struck by Alex Katz’s sculpture of a cow. I like his flat portraits that are often boldly colored with minimal detail. His cow is made out of cut aluminum, then painted, and appears 3-dimensional. It’s unmissable in the gallery!

Cow, Alex Katz, 2006

No visit to the Farnsworth is complete without time in their lovely gift shop crammed with note and greeting cards, art pencils, books, cocktail napkins, and toys for kids. Across the street is 365 Gallery, their larger shop and design space where one will find paintings for purchase, elegant glassware, and currently, a few ceramic pieces on display.

CASUAL LUNCH

Waterworks Restaurant  (Rockland)

A short walk and a few blocks down the main street and then left on Lindsey Street is Waterworks.  It’s a pub located in an old building that was once part of Rockland’s water system (hence the name) and has a cozy and welcoming vibe.  There’s lots of dark wood, a long bar, and scattered tables for four or eight; it would be especially nice on a cold winter’s night.

The menu encompasses everything from fresh lobster rolls to chowder and fish to more traditional fare such as quesadillas, linguine, salads, and sandwiches.  After visiting the art museum, our group of four lunched here.  A couple of us skipped seafood in favor of a Caesar salad with chicken or New England style Shepherd’s Pie.  

The other two were happy with fish and chips with slaw and fries and a chopped salad with hard-boiled egg, almonds, and blue cheese dressing.  Whatever you crave, there’s bound to be something to tempt your palate.  Usually when we come here, the dining room is slightly full; this day, every table was soon occupied with even a group waiting in the wings.  It was just a Wednesday in July—high summer.

Note: Photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved.)

Maine Coast: Lots of Lobster & A Mystery

Maine’s rocky coast

MAINE AND ITS LOBSTERS

Maine State Aquarium

Red lobsters, blue lobsters, and white lobsters.  You can learn about them and even see some specimens at the Maine State Aquarium which is part of the Maine Discovery Center.  This facility is in West Boothbay Harbor at McKown Point.  

Interior of aquarium showing 26 ft. Minke whale skeleton

We visited this tiny museum, which since our last visit about 10 years ago, was renovated and updated in 2024.  There is still a touch tank along with other cases highlighting scallop harvesting and some of the region’s fish, sea stars, and other creatures.  The two blue lobsters, one adult and one young one, were especially impressive, as is the Minke whale skeleton above.

Adult blue lobster at Maine State Aquarium

We enjoyed the fresh air on the museum porch for a short presentation on lobsters: their shells and the molting process, the strength in their claws, their lifespan, and the astounding number of eggs one female can produce. It was a fascinating, well-delivered talk and gave me a new appreciation for this crustacean which we so enjoy consuming when we are in Maine! 

Speaking of lobsters, I made lobster rolls for dinner as a treat for my visiting sister and brother-in-law.  A pound of lobster meat shared among four people is indeed a delight.  This recipe had a mayonnaise and lemon dressing, but the meat was first warmed in melted butter—the result being a sort of cross between the traditional cold roll and the Connecticut hot one. Delicious!

DINING AROUND: CHOWDER, HADDOCK, & MORE, Pt. 1

McSeagull’s  (Boothbay Harbor)

We lunched here with S and B and so far, McSeagull’s clam chowder remains the best ever.  It’s thick with clams and potatoes, topped with bits of bacon, and enhanced with herbs.  A cup of it is very satisfying and practically a meal in itself.  After mine, I enjoyed a small Caesar salad, while the others tucked into haddock bites, fries, and the yummy-looking lobster bruschetta. It’s high summer, and the restaurant was packed!  Fortunately, we had a reservation.

Cozy’s Dockside (Cozy Harbor, Southport)

Cozy’s clam chowder is very good also (no bacon) and full of clams.  Several of us had a cup of it with dinner one night.  I ordered the haddock Reuben, an occasional special of haddock chunks on toasted sourdough with sauerkraut and the requisite Thousand Island dressing.  It’s a big sandwich (comes with chips), so I happily took home half for the next day’s lunch. Others ordered haddock tacos (also large), romaine salad, and the chili hot dogs.  It being blueberry season, it seemed only appropriate to order a piece of blueberry pie to take away. 

Outside seating at Cozy’s

The joint is very casual, and the service is friendly (thank you, Sally) with seating inside or at picnic tables on the wharf overlooking the harbor.  Servings are generous, and no one should go hungry!  

SUMMER READING: TUNNELS & DEATH IN NORWICH

The Chalk Pit by Elly Griffiths

Griffiths (penguinrandomhouse.com)

The Chalk Pit is #9 in the Ruth Galloway series.  I think it’s one of the best works so far in this series.  Some suspicious bones are found in an underground tunnel which means archaeologist Ruth is called upon to offer her expertise.  When several rough sleepers, a local designation for street people or the homeless, are found murdered, DCI Harry Nelson and his colleagues Judy Johnson and Dave Clough have a complex puzzle to solve.  Add in the sudden disappearances of several unrelated women and the mystery deepens.  

Crime solving always involves leads and false starts which are intriguing, but I enjoyed this mystery as much for the interactions between Ruth and Kate, her now 6-year-old daughter, and theirs together with Nelson.  Druid Cathbad and Judy Johnson’s children also play a role, and Griffiths captures well the behavior of young children.  Puzzling, delightful, and good escapism! And I just learned that Griffiths is a pseudonym, and her mysteries are inspired by her archaeologist husband and an aunt who lives on the Norfolk coast.. (~JWFarrington)

Note: All unattributed photos ©JWFarrington (some rights reserved)

Maine Moments: Relaxing, Reading & Watching

A LAZY WEEK

View from Southport coast (JWF)

We escaped the heat after Portland and are now happily settled mid coast on Southport Island.  I have to confess that we have been somewhat lazy this week.  Not in terms of projects, though.  I’ve re-discovered Zentangle and have been having fun creating one tile each day, while the Chief Penguin is keeping up with politics and writing.  

I joined my Zoom yoga group twice, and the C. P. and I went for a walk in the neighborhood on Thursday.  In between, we’ve been stocking the larder with multiple trips to Hannaford, the local supermarket, and Pinkham’s Gourmet Market.  The former has all the basics while the latter stocks fresh fish and seafood along with a variety of store-made deli salads and more jarred temptations than one can imagine.  We are now set for a while and the arrival of one sister and brother-in-law.

SUMMER READING:

POST OFFICE MURALS AND RACE RELATIONS

Big Lies in a Small Town by Diane Chamberlain (2019) 

Chamberlain (usmacmillan.com)

Set in Edenton, North Carolina in 1940 and 2018, author Diane Chamberlain uses the WPA contest for murals to be hung in post offices across the country as her jumping off point.  There was a real WPA competition to design and then create murals, but Edenton was not one of the chosen towns.  Aspiring young artist, Anna Dale from New Jersey, is selected for North Carolina even though she submitted a sketch for her own hometown.   

It’s 1940, and Anna must create a sketch for this small town, get it approved, and then actually produce it to be hung.  She solicits volunteer help from local students and initially has two white students, a boy and a girl, and then one talented young black man named Jesse who is a bit older.  The times being what they are, some folks in town are upset that she is working with Jesse. Popular local artist Martin Drapple and his wife feel strongly that his contest entry was unfairly rejected.

In 2018, wannabe artist Morgan Christopher, in prison for a crime she didn’t commit, is offered early release and parole if she will restore the Edenton post office mural.  It had disappeared in 1940 and never been hung.  It turned up in the possession of now deceased artist Jesse Williams who left specific instructions as to who was to restore it and the very strict timeline required.  Morgan takes up the challenge, moves in with Jesse’s daughter Lisa, and has to quickly learn about art restoration.  The mural is badly damaged and has some strange extra touches, prompting Morgan and her colleagues to want to know more about the elusive Anna Dale who disappeared. 

Alternating chapters about Anna and Morgan keep the reader in suspense about what ultimately happened to Anna and whether Morgan will be able to complete the mural in time for its public showing.  It’s a fast-paced read, and I whipped through it in 2 days!  Does it all hang together?  Is the ending too neat or is it convincing?  In any case, I thoroughly enjoyed it— good historical fare and gripping summer escapism!  I will miss my book group’s discussion of it, but now I really need to visit Edenton.  (~JWFarrington)

MOVIE TIME: HISTORICAL GEM

The Choral (Netflix)

Choir master Fiennes backed by Duxbury and colleagues (theaureview.com)

We missed this film when it aired in Cary, so it was a treat to watch it here.  Set in a Yorkshire village in 1916, it’s a worrisome time.  Young men are going off to war, often volunteering, but soon all of a certain age will have no option.  Mill owner Mr. Bernard Duxbury likes singing and is very proud of the town choral.  When the choir master leaves to fight, he must recruit a new leader.  

Mr. Guthrie is a musician, but he is suspect for having lived in Germany.  Initially planning to sing Bach’s challenging St. Matthew Passion oratorio, this rag tag band of locals and injured soldiers takes up a work by Englishman Edward Elgar.  Inspired by the real Huddersfield Choral Society, the film is sweet at points and also poignant.  The cast features Ralph Fiennes as the choir master and Roger Allam as Mr. Duxbury.  Recommended, particularly if you like choral music.