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On Thin Ice: The Life and Times of a North Woods Caretaker
“The plot is engaging...Tissot tells a moving story...” Christian Woodard, book reviewer, Adirondack Daily Enterprise, NY In this novel of mystery, fun and sorrow, a man struggles to make a fresh start in life. Tuck Rising, an injured ski champion, returns to his hometown to find work as a Great Camp caretaker. With his new bride Britt Freier and his daughter Tibetta, he moves into a rustic home in the village of Meltmor, planning to stay only until he recovers from his injury and can return to racing. Like walking on thin ice, every step he takes brings him closer to peril. The story romps through the high jinks and hard times of a northern village and shines a light on the little known lives of caretakers. In a twist of magic realism, Pitt and his pet Rat's prophesies remind us that the way forward is not always clear. Life in the North brings Tuck far more obstacles than flags on a race course. Will Tuck overcome the challenges? Hold on to his family? Make his way back to the race course? Will misinformation and cover-ups obstruct his path to success? This book is a revision of Tibetta's World; High Jinks and Hard Times in the North Country. What readers are saying. “… vivid imagination along with knowledge of our beloved Adirondacks and small town people…” - Win, France “… a wonderful novel … I think everyone should read it from 10 to 90. - Diana, New York “...mystery, love, murder, humor and philosophy all rolled into one...” - Liz, New York
292 pages, Paperback
Published November 1, 2018
2 people want to read
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December 2, 2025
Wow, talk about jumping into the Adirondack mountains. This book is that. And it might be enough to get into its environment, its mountains, its rivers and lakes, but there is more, far more in this exquisite and captivating book.
Right from the beginning you are drawn into the people’s lives who you are now living with, how they talk with each other, what they do and what they know, and how they go about doing what they do and what they know.
If it is suspense for you, there is plenty of that. From the conflict underlying the entire book, to its outcome, it is there for you. If it is eccentric characters for you, there is Pitt and Rat. If it is quips and quick in and out philosophy, you have it.
And wildlife? you get to know who those are that live in it, what they are and how they go about their lives. In one scene during an evening ride in a canoe, the beaver appears.
“Just then a loud slap near the canoe.” The child shrieks. “That was a beaver slapping its tail, warning his friends about us,” her dad, a lover of where they are living, tells her.
There is a nugget about the Peregrine falcon. The author here lets us know how important it is that we care for our surroundings and those we share our environment with.
This is a book you will care about more and more as you pass from page to page experiencing the life with those lucky enough to live within this region’s vibrant life and beauty.
Right from the beginning you are drawn into the people’s lives who you are now living with, how they talk with each other, what they do and what they know, and how they go about doing what they do and what they know.
If it is suspense for you, there is plenty of that. From the conflict underlying the entire book, to its outcome, it is there for you. If it is eccentric characters for you, there is Pitt and Rat. If it is quips and quick in and out philosophy, you have it.
And wildlife? you get to know who those are that live in it, what they are and how they go about their lives. In one scene during an evening ride in a canoe, the beaver appears.
“Just then a loud slap near the canoe.” The child shrieks. “That was a beaver slapping its tail, warning his friends about us,” her dad, a lover of where they are living, tells her.
There is a nugget about the Peregrine falcon. The author here lets us know how important it is that we care for our surroundings and those we share our environment with.
This is a book you will care about more and more as you pass from page to page experiencing the life with those lucky enough to live within this region’s vibrant life and beauty.
Displaying 1 of 1 review