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Just East of Nowhere
A Gripping Story of Doubt, Damnation, and Discovery set in a struggling corner of Downeast Maine. Just East of Nowhere , Scot Lehigh's debut novel, is a gritty coming-of-age story that explores the often hidden pockets of Maine and features a poignant and troubled cast of characters who are caught in the undercurrents of a struggling coastal town. The powerful novel, with its characters, setting, and storyline, should resonate with anyone who also came from, as in singer Kris Kristofferson's evocative phrase, "just the other side of nowhere."
240 pages, Paperback
Published July 11, 2023
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September 11, 2023
Just East of Nowhere, Scot Lehigh
I grew up in a place that was actually called East —. When you are East of anywhere, it is like being a little bit pregnant; you haven’t quite made it. In this novel, nothing is quite as it seems.
Where I lived, as it was in this small town of Maine, some of us were popular, some of us were not. Some were nerds, some were just marking time. Some had goals, some had fears, but we all had to grow up and eventually face life, because what was the other alternative? Growing up involved growing pains, and this book really does a good job of exposing and exploring them, highlighting the conflicts teens face as they mature and deal with life and with those that populate their environment, who make it easier or more difficult on any given day.
Dan (Immanuel) Winters does not know his father, Lester Fortin. Lester was convicted of raping his mom, Clara Winters. After the trial, she moved from Lubec Maine, to Eastport Maine, to get away from “The Town Without Pity”, to another town like it, but in a place where she was anonymous. Still, she got away from one kind of gossip, only to deal with another. She became a “holy roller”, but she was known to be kind and caring. Dan Winters did not appreciate his mother until he discovered who she really was and dismissed the caricature others had made of her, and by extension, of him. He never felt as if he belonged, but rather he yearned not to feel lonely and adrift, without a father as an anchor. He was afraid that his father’s behavior would be visited upon him, and he feared it. Could he be violent too? He had to find him to discover who he might become. Was it inevitable or preventable?
Another teenager in Dan’s neighborhood huddled in his brother’s shadow, and he always felt like he was “less than”. Griff Kimball’s brother was a star athlete. Griff was mediocre, but he had passion too. His folks wanted him to do well and then to go into the family business. They believed in him in a different way than they believed in his brother. He wanted his folks and others to revere him the way they looked up to his brother. So, when Sonny Beal, a newcomer to town that everyone thought was “trouble”, showed some interest in him, he felt like he was special, and he jumped at the chance of a new friendship with this “bad seed”.
Sonny Beal was under the awful influence of his father, Curt Beal. Curt was not an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, but was quite the opposite, actually. Neither Sonny nor his dad believed in following any rules or regulations. They believed in really pushing the envelope. Sonny was a bad influence on Griff, because Griff was basically a good kid, but he was swayed when Sonny instigated and encouraged him to break the rules.
Susan Jameison wanted to be more popular. She was starry-eyed and dreamt of being sexually alluring, of having people gaze after her as she walked by. Her parents adored her and wanted her to go to the University of Maine, to live up to her potential. She wanted to feel and be more important than she was, as most of the teenagers did.
After Dan and Griff had a terrible fight, circumstances unexpectedly put Susan and Griff together, and they became an item. Dan was sent to a juvenile institution, after which he totally changed course and applied to Bates College. He was accepted and never returned to Eastgate until his mother died. He thought he had moved on.
All of the characters are suffering from the slings and arrows of growing up. All are confused, made mistakes and foolish decisions, even some that were dangerous. They rushed to conclusions that led to misunderstandings and misperceptions. They learned that If you weren’t a witness, you might not even always be able to trust the judgment of someone who was. Was there anything that was absolute, was totally black and white? Did everyone embellish their story to protect themselves? Was everyone able to lie even if it hurt others, in order for them to remain supposedly “innocent”?
Each of the characters kept secrets and told lies, some of which could be forgiven, some which could be forgotten, and some that were indelible and would stay with them forever. Were any of the lies and secrets justified? Did they eventually affect the outcome of their lives? How hard was it for them to grow up? How did they move on? Were they happy, successful, or were they failures?
The author allowed the characters to develop naturally into functioning human beings, but some functioned better than others. Do you agree with how things turned out? Did it feel authentic to you, the reader? For me it did. I really enjoyed the book, because it was not about today’s political propaganda or the author’s personal agenda to promote a particular view. Instead, it was just a good novel, easy to read, but often filled with the tension and frustration of life for a young adult, a parent, and those who ultimately have authority over us, whether deserved or undeserved. We are voyeurs watching them all react. Were the sins of the father visited upon their sons? Did some escape the judgment of their ancestors? Are those who instigated trouble as guilty as those who carried it out? So many questions arise about life and how we live it. It is a good book for a deeper discussion on the mindset of our youth.
I grew up in a place that was actually called East —. When you are East of anywhere, it is like being a little bit pregnant; you haven’t quite made it. In this novel, nothing is quite as it seems.
Where I lived, as it was in this small town of Maine, some of us were popular, some of us were not. Some were nerds, some were just marking time. Some had goals, some had fears, but we all had to grow up and eventually face life, because what was the other alternative? Growing up involved growing pains, and this book really does a good job of exposing and exploring them, highlighting the conflicts teens face as they mature and deal with life and with those that populate their environment, who make it easier or more difficult on any given day.
Dan (Immanuel) Winters does not know his father, Lester Fortin. Lester was convicted of raping his mom, Clara Winters. After the trial, she moved from Lubec Maine, to Eastport Maine, to get away from “The Town Without Pity”, to another town like it, but in a place where she was anonymous. Still, she got away from one kind of gossip, only to deal with another. She became a “holy roller”, but she was known to be kind and caring. Dan Winters did not appreciate his mother until he discovered who she really was and dismissed the caricature others had made of her, and by extension, of him. He never felt as if he belonged, but rather he yearned not to feel lonely and adrift, without a father as an anchor. He was afraid that his father’s behavior would be visited upon him, and he feared it. Could he be violent too? He had to find him to discover who he might become. Was it inevitable or preventable?
Another teenager in Dan’s neighborhood huddled in his brother’s shadow, and he always felt like he was “less than”. Griff Kimball’s brother was a star athlete. Griff was mediocre, but he had passion too. His folks wanted him to do well and then to go into the family business. They believed in him in a different way than they believed in his brother. He wanted his folks and others to revere him the way they looked up to his brother. So, when Sonny Beal, a newcomer to town that everyone thought was “trouble”, showed some interest in him, he felt like he was special, and he jumped at the chance of a new friendship with this “bad seed”.
Sonny Beal was under the awful influence of his father, Curt Beal. Curt was not an upstanding, law-abiding citizen, but was quite the opposite, actually. Neither Sonny nor his dad believed in following any rules or regulations. They believed in really pushing the envelope. Sonny was a bad influence on Griff, because Griff was basically a good kid, but he was swayed when Sonny instigated and encouraged him to break the rules.
Susan Jameison wanted to be more popular. She was starry-eyed and dreamt of being sexually alluring, of having people gaze after her as she walked by. Her parents adored her and wanted her to go to the University of Maine, to live up to her potential. She wanted to feel and be more important than she was, as most of the teenagers did.
After Dan and Griff had a terrible fight, circumstances unexpectedly put Susan and Griff together, and they became an item. Dan was sent to a juvenile institution, after which he totally changed course and applied to Bates College. He was accepted and never returned to Eastgate until his mother died. He thought he had moved on.
All of the characters are suffering from the slings and arrows of growing up. All are confused, made mistakes and foolish decisions, even some that were dangerous. They rushed to conclusions that led to misunderstandings and misperceptions. They learned that If you weren’t a witness, you might not even always be able to trust the judgment of someone who was. Was there anything that was absolute, was totally black and white? Did everyone embellish their story to protect themselves? Was everyone able to lie even if it hurt others, in order for them to remain supposedly “innocent”?
Each of the characters kept secrets and told lies, some of which could be forgiven, some which could be forgotten, and some that were indelible and would stay with them forever. Were any of the lies and secrets justified? Did they eventually affect the outcome of their lives? How hard was it for them to grow up? How did they move on? Were they happy, successful, or were they failures?
The author allowed the characters to develop naturally into functioning human beings, but some functioned better than others. Do you agree with how things turned out? Did it feel authentic to you, the reader? For me it did. I really enjoyed the book, because it was not about today’s political propaganda or the author’s personal agenda to promote a particular view. Instead, it was just a good novel, easy to read, but often filled with the tension and frustration of life for a young adult, a parent, and those who ultimately have authority over us, whether deserved or undeserved. We are voyeurs watching them all react. Were the sins of the father visited upon their sons? Did some escape the judgment of their ancestors? Are those who instigated trouble as guilty as those who carried it out? So many questions arise about life and how we live it. It is a good book for a deeper discussion on the mindset of our youth.
February 8, 2024
this book kept me on my toes - i loved reading about familiar places and storylines that were not so unfamiliar. downeast maine is a unique and special place, anyone who’s been there knows it, and lehigh’s debut novel showcases the grit and frustration of growing up on maine’s rugged coast.
November 4, 2023
This book was actually a solid read. Four stars is a very high rating so three is indicative of a higher feeling as well. So, in that vein two stars is in this case a solid rating.
Set in far down east Maine in the town of Eastport, Maine. Being familiar with the geography of the area gave this book an increased interest for me. Eastport is basically an island, Lubec is three miles away by water but more than forty miles away by land. Truthfully there are lots of places like that in Maine.
The story follows two characters, doing a good job telling it from two different viewpoints. As the story begins Dan is returning home for his Mother’s funeral. A student at Bates College from a very circuitous path that included time spent at the Maine Juvenile Youth Center, returning home is filled with conflicted feelings for Dan.
Dan never knew his father was growing up, when he finds out the circumstances of his birth it does nothing to improve his mental state.
Griff is another young man from Eastport. The second son, trailing behind an all everything older brother he is filled with twin doses of resentment and jealousy. When he comes into conflict with Dan it will change everything for both of them.
The author dies a very good job here in showing that both of these boys or young men if you will are works in progress. Neither angels or as bad as might be assumed by a judgement of their worst moments our hope, as a reader, is that both of them will progress to the next stage of their lives.
A fairly accurate portrayal of small town life, how it both comforts and stifles.
The books picture of teenage romance, the physicality, sexuality, is pretty spot on. I wondered in reading it if the author could get himself in trouble with his depictions of the so called grey areas between yes and no. Overall I think it was fairly realistic but I also think that whole subject is quicksand, electrically charged quicksand that I have no interest to talk about for sure.
I would recommend this book
Set in far down east Maine in the town of Eastport, Maine. Being familiar with the geography of the area gave this book an increased interest for me. Eastport is basically an island, Lubec is three miles away by water but more than forty miles away by land. Truthfully there are lots of places like that in Maine.
The story follows two characters, doing a good job telling it from two different viewpoints. As the story begins Dan is returning home for his Mother’s funeral. A student at Bates College from a very circuitous path that included time spent at the Maine Juvenile Youth Center, returning home is filled with conflicted feelings for Dan.
Dan never knew his father was growing up, when he finds out the circumstances of his birth it does nothing to improve his mental state.
Griff is another young man from Eastport. The second son, trailing behind an all everything older brother he is filled with twin doses of resentment and jealousy. When he comes into conflict with Dan it will change everything for both of them.
The author dies a very good job here in showing that both of these boys or young men if you will are works in progress. Neither angels or as bad as might be assumed by a judgement of their worst moments our hope, as a reader, is that both of them will progress to the next stage of their lives.
A fairly accurate portrayal of small town life, how it both comforts and stifles.
The books picture of teenage romance, the physicality, sexuality, is pretty spot on. I wondered in reading it if the author could get himself in trouble with his depictions of the so called grey areas between yes and no. Overall I think it was fairly realistic but I also think that whole subject is quicksand, electrically charged quicksand that I have no interest to talk about for sure.
I would recommend this book
June 26, 2023
This is Scot Lehigh's first published novel, but you'd never know it. He has a confident touch. The book is at eloquent and street smart, with snappy dialogue.
Lehigh captures the high drama behind the placid setting of a small town in Maine that almost becomes a character itself. And speaking of character, the people in the book jump out at you with a cynical intelligence that will carry you along to startling conclusions.
All in all, this book is first rate.
Lehigh captures the high drama behind the placid setting of a small town in Maine that almost becomes a character itself. And speaking of character, the people in the book jump out at you with a cynical intelligence that will carry you along to startling conclusions.
All in all, this book is first rate.
September 20, 2023
I received this book as part of LibraryThing’s early reviewer program in exchange for an honest review.
Just East of Nowhere is quiet a book. All the characters were well developed and realistic. I found myself thinking about it throughout the day when I wasn’t reading it. I don’t do that with every book I read. I just wish it was a little longer.
Just East of Nowhere is quiet a book. All the characters were well developed and realistic. I found myself thinking about it throughout the day when I wasn’t reading it. I don’t do that with every book I read. I just wish it was a little longer.
January 3, 2024
This is a taut, suspenseful debut novel told against the dreary, calloused upper Maine coast. While the story is focused on a young man's return to his hometown and the unspooling of a mystery around his just-passed mother, the book is concerned just as much with a world in Maine outside of tony Portland, Freeport, and Camden, where life is much less glamorous. The yearning for a brighter future among nearly all the young characters is just under the surface (sometimes over it) and palpable.
That is what I think shines most through this story: young men and women trapped a mostly indifferent, sometimes hostile landscape. The descriptive language is tight, the dialogue realistic. Just as Mainers don’t seek out ostentation in favor of quiet directness, so too does Lehigh’s book. The book employs a neat device, breaking away from the protagonist and then centering on his purported rival. Both sections present a believable portrayal of the difficulty of growing up in harsh rural Maine: the lack of opportunity, the limited social interactions, the desolation, and the forced isolation carrying between generations.
I also appreciated the short chapters to keep the action and the plot moving forward. Writing something thoughtful is nice, but a book that keeps your attention and tells is a story is better.
That is what I think shines most through this story: young men and women trapped a mostly indifferent, sometimes hostile landscape. The descriptive language is tight, the dialogue realistic. Just as Mainers don’t seek out ostentation in favor of quiet directness, so too does Lehigh’s book. The book employs a neat device, breaking away from the protagonist and then centering on his purported rival. Both sections present a believable portrayal of the difficulty of growing up in harsh rural Maine: the lack of opportunity, the limited social interactions, the desolation, and the forced isolation carrying between generations.
I also appreciated the short chapters to keep the action and the plot moving forward. Writing something thoughtful is nice, but a book that keeps your attention and tells is a story is better.
April 29, 2026
I thoroughly enjoyed the tone and setting of this book. Lehigh weaves together a gritty coming of age narrative with a potent emotional tone, following layered characters in their search for identity. I thought the pacing of the story was well done, remaining engaging as it balanced moments of both tension and reflection. I appreciated the attention to the details of growing up in a small town, and the choice to highlight some of the more challenging aspects of shedding dreams and identities while coming into one's own. I'd like to rate this book higher but I was dissapointed that the story continually relied on violence against women as a prop for its male characters' development. With that element being so central to the story, it felt unsavory to have the female characters perspective and development excluded from the narrative, instead using their suffering as either the fuel or backdrop to the protagonists motivations. With seemingly little intent to add dimension to the female character's and their experiences unrelated to their male counterparts, it makes me wonder why this particular theme was chosen for such a male centered narrative. I enjoyed the read but for that reason would probably not revisit it or reccomend, at least not without a disclaimer.
August 16, 2024
Scot Lehigh's debut novel is a joy to read, emotionally engaging, and satisfyingly concluded.
His insight into the inner lives of young men struggling in the face of circumstance, the need for connection, the violence surrounding them, and their own weakness and rage is compelling and evokes some of the best of the genre, including JD Salinger and John Knowles. Few books capture the nature of young men's relationships to one another as faithfully and authentically.
With clear, clean prose, dialogue that rings true, and forward-moving pacing, "Just East of Nowhere" pulled me in fast and kept my interest level high. But it was the description of these troubled young men striving to achieve and maintain dignity, identity, and friendship in a place that threatens all of this that really grabbed me and continues to resonate.
His insight into the inner lives of young men struggling in the face of circumstance, the need for connection, the violence surrounding them, and their own weakness and rage is compelling and evokes some of the best of the genre, including JD Salinger and John Knowles. Few books capture the nature of young men's relationships to one another as faithfully and authentically.
With clear, clean prose, dialogue that rings true, and forward-moving pacing, "Just East of Nowhere" pulled me in fast and kept my interest level high. But it was the description of these troubled young men striving to achieve and maintain dignity, identity, and friendship in a place that threatens all of this that really grabbed me and continues to resonate.
July 16, 2023
For some reason I love books about Maine. It doesn't matter to me whether the book is about the beautiful coastline or the gritty industrial areas, I'm just a Maine lover. If you read the Boston Globe, you'll know who Scott Lehigh is. Over the years, his Globe pieces have turned me into a real fan.
His novel. Just East of Nowhere does not disappoint. He paints a stark picture of small town rural Maine life and the characters that populate that world. I won't give anything away. Read it for yourself. You will empathize with his characters and the challenges they face. This book is a winner and I hope it achieves the success it deserves!
Elizabeth Weber
His novel. Just East of Nowhere does not disappoint. He paints a stark picture of small town rural Maine life and the characters that populate that world. I won't give anything away. Read it for yourself. You will empathize with his characters and the challenges they face. This book is a winner and I hope it achieves the success it deserves!
Elizabeth Weber
March 4, 2024
This book, set in Eastport, Maine, has been on display in store windows here for months, so I decided to read it. Not since reading a Sarah Graves novel have I known all the streets and locations in a book. This one more of a coming of age story, and also a crime drama. Described on its cover as, “tautly written and fast paced,” it was such a contrast to the book I had just finished, that was slow moving and poetic historical fiction by a favorite author. But I kept going and got into the story. I’d recommend it as a pretty good book, a quick read by a local author and accomplished news writer.
August 23, 2024
Although not familiar with this part of Maine, I was intrigued and bought Lehigh's first novel.
I certainly can understand the sense of being stuck, being torn between staying and going, the sexual and personal exploration that young people experience (sometimes to their harm) as well as the desire to explore and understand your family and its "quirks."
I was drawn into the stories of Dan and Griff though as their paths intersect in violence and forgiveness. Somehow the short chapters lent a chop to the novel that wasn't intended to lessen reader attention.
At any rate, I do recommend reading this novel. There's much realism that is photographic and much for readers to ponder.
I certainly can understand the sense of being stuck, being torn between staying and going, the sexual and personal exploration that young people experience (sometimes to their harm) as well as the desire to explore and understand your family and its "quirks."
I was drawn into the stories of Dan and Griff though as their paths intersect in violence and forgiveness. Somehow the short chapters lent a chop to the novel that wasn't intended to lessen reader attention.
At any rate, I do recommend reading this novel. There's much realism that is photographic and much for readers to ponder.
July 7, 2023
Start your planning now. This book is a delight and would make a great holiday gift. I couldn’t put it down. Romance, violence, mystery….it’s all there. Told with an eloquence rarely found in books these days, I was taken back many times to the “Glory Days” referenced so poignantly in this book. The book builds, layer by layer, strand by strand, until it results in a climactic finish that you would least expect. Richard Patterson was right in praising this book. Maybe he should partner with Scot next time instead of Bill Clinton. Buy this book.
July 10, 2023
I just finished "Just East of Nowhere" and thought it was fantastic. I couldn't wait for the ending to see how the fates of Dan and Griff would intersect and resolve. The ending, while not completely satisfying, was nonetheless appropriate to the story and the evolution of the two protagonists. I also thought Scott did a great job creating the atmosphere of a small town in rural America with all of the intimacy and limitations posed by such places.
I hope there will be more novels from Scott and will eagerly await the next one.
I hope there will be more novels from Scott and will eagerly await the next one.
September 6, 2023
From a talented Boston Globe writer comes this great coming-of-age story centered in Eastport, Maine. Growing up poor in a struggling community limits your future options…and hanging with the wrong crowd also has a negative impact. Scot Lehigh captures both the beauty and the ruggedness of this town perfectly. Through his dialogue I felt like I knew his characters and their challenges, young people trying to figure out their lives. And maybe I did know them when I lived in a small coastal town. This was a poignant novel.
January 15, 2024
Great narration and loved the setting. You can always tell when the author has a strong connection to places with vivid images like these. There sure are a lot of Dans and Griffs and Sonny’s in life. Not entirely liking the female depictions here. None of these women seemed human, more caricature which pulled from the plot. And I kept thinking this was historical fiction, mostly because no one has been named Susan in 30 years. A cell phone would be mentioned once in a while and my brain couldn’t compute.
February 14, 2024
Lehigh’s debut novel explores toxic masculinity and perfectly captures the ups and downs of adolescence in Downeast Maine. Dan (Immanuel) Winters, the protagonist, is a victim of his hardscrabble upbringing, but he manages to rise above the turbulent waters of small-town Eastport by heeding his mother’s advice: “A boy with your talents can be anything he wants to be. It’s all up to you.” The novel is an engaging read and will especially appeal to those who grew up in a provincial town with little opportunity or positive influences.
October 8, 2024
I discovered this book on an ad taped to a telephone pole on Water St in Eastport and I’m glad I did. A gritty and relatable story of small town America, this fictional tale does well to speak of the inner struggle of either wanting to escape or never leave that most youths feel as they grow up in their unique corners of this country. With some more harsh and tragic themes in the mix, this is a a quick and engaging story that’s well worth the read. Also, there’s a nice mention of the WaCo Diner who has one of the best pot roasts over ever had.
April 13, 2025
Very Real
The story takes place where the author grew up himself so his descriptions come from a lived reality in an out of the way place, a very small town, on the rugged Maine coast. The characters all seem quite real, the situations as well, about teenagers, their parents, kids growing up in a small out of the way place, facing tough, but not that unusual challenges. A good ending, and pretty darn realistic too. I can see why he had to write this book, and how his own real life experiences inform it.
The story takes place where the author grew up himself so his descriptions come from a lived reality in an out of the way place, a very small town, on the rugged Maine coast. The characters all seem quite real, the situations as well, about teenagers, their parents, kids growing up in a small out of the way place, facing tough, but not that unusual challenges. A good ending, and pretty darn realistic too. I can see why he had to write this book, and how his own real life experiences inform it.
September 12, 2023
Scot Lehigh’s Just East of Nowhere is a coming-of-age story that will keep you reading in concern and fear for the fates of the youngsters in a small Maine town. Lehigh knows that bad decisions by adolescents in a small town are like kindling to the larger fires that follow. Lehigh also allows for the kindness and charity that often goes un-herald but runs deep in these nowhere places. Pick a copy of this fine novel.
July 13, 2024
DNF. Book club selection.
It was interesting to read a story set in Eastport & Lubec in the far east of Maine. At one point, I fantasized about living there. Then we visited, and realized it was not for us. Reading this confirmed that was a smart decision. It's not a place I'd want to live. I didn't even want to read a story about life out there. It's not a bad book - it's gritty and uncompromising and down to earth - but it wasn't for me.
It was interesting to read a story set in Eastport & Lubec in the far east of Maine. At one point, I fantasized about living there. Then we visited, and realized it was not for us. Reading this confirmed that was a smart decision. It's not a place I'd want to live. I didn't even want to read a story about life out there. It's not a bad book - it's gritty and uncompromising and down to earth - but it wasn't for me.
January 26, 2024
Far from being simple, small towns present their own complex moral dilemmas as friends and rivals must find a way to survive cheek by jowl in this coming-of-age story set in coastal Maine. Lehigh may be a debut novelist, but his decades as a journalist show in his effortless descriptions of both places and people. Wonderful read
April 25, 2024
Great read. Very fast moving. I had trouble with the transitions from present to flash backs. But the story was compelling with the struggle of small town people knowing everyone’s business and the pressures to stay or go for personal development. This was our book group selection with the author coming to speak. Made for a good experience.
May 27, 2024
Compelling storylines, woven deeply into the culture of Maine. I like books that are not just set in a place, but are wholly *of* that place. Lehigh pulls that off wonderfully, and yet subtly. He's an excellent writer and I found myself re-reading many delightful turns of phrase, turning them back over in my head.
July 4, 2024
It’s ok for a nice quick scan while watching baseball on tv. A kid from a small town in Maine gets in a fight, gets in trouble, gets out, goes to college, comes home when Mom dies, is conflicted. In flashbacks we see the trouble, meet (and at least briefly follow) other townies, and roll with present events. But the omnipresent gloom is hard to bear.
July 25, 2025
One of the best books I’ve read in some time. Very interesting way of jumping back and forth between characters. Also interesting is the way you aren’t quite sure how something is resolved until another chapter so crucial details are held at bay for a short or long while. And some chapters are really short while others are longer
Nothing tedious about this story - thoroughly compelling
Nothing tedious about this story - thoroughly compelling
July 26, 2023
Loved the characters, they were complicated and yearning for something more. The story moved quickly and captured the essence of what life is like in deep coastal Maine. I loved the descriptions of the ocean as the backdrop for this story. Excellent read.
December 15, 2023
Unlike anything I've read in a long time. It was definitely a page turner and I kept wanting to find out more. I especially loved the short chapters. The author did a great job of character building and keeping you interested in their stories!
July 26, 2024
Scot Lehigh is one of my favorite Boston Globe columnists so looked forward to reading his book. I enjoyed it,especially reading about Eastport area which I know little about! Enjoyed the main characters and hope there will be a sequel which I am sure will rate five stars.
June 13, 2025
A down-to-earth story of the struggles of a young man trying to find his way in a small town on the coast of Maine. If you love Maine and real-life fiction, you'll love this book. A solid first novel from Scott Lehigh
November 8, 2025
I did enjoy reading this coming of age story, but it didn't grab me like some others. I used to live in Maine and can identify with the small town struggles. I was saddened by the ending and how both young men lost their girlfriends.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
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