True North: Finding the Essence of Aroostook

by Kathryn Olmstead

Northern Maine retains qualities of life that many people long for in today's world. The pace can be slower, nature is close, the beauty is breathtaking, and the people are authentic. Kathryn Olmstead, a transplant from Michigan more than forty decades ago, considers it a place mysterious to those who have not been there and unforgettable to those who have. Her collection of essays gleaned from her years writing for Echoes magazine and the Bangor Daily News share her introductions to rural life and wildlife in an attempt to reveal the universal in the particular-the night sky and ice-out, the people and their cultural roots, and the intimacy with nature in every season. The title True North describes the quality of life portrayed in Olmstead's essays-an orienting point, internal and geographic, that keeps a person on track in a world sometimes at odds with nature and with basic human goodness. Combined they affirm that traditional values are still alive in places like Aroostook County, Maine.

193 pages, Paperback

Published October 20, 2020

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

True North: Finding the Essence of Aroostook by Kathryn Olmsted

True North is part personal essays about Olmsted’s life in northern Maine, and part articles about the County’s people, places, and events. Her style is crystal clear like a settled lake. She welcomes the reader into her observations. She tells the reader what she experienced with a gentle kindness for all the living beings around her, and she carefully interacts with them equally. I laughed at her drunken slugs, surprised little red squirrels and Ralph’s grandsons comment about getting up to dance. Olmsted expresses reverence for life and gratitude for her community. I think she’ll be remembered for many accomplishments in her life. I know it will be for her delightful stories.

[Goose · Rating 5 out of 5]

Loved this book of stories about Aroostook County Maine. Grew up there and visit often and each story was a wonderful read. Some made me laugh and some made me cry and all of them held my interest. Recommended to anyone who loves Maine and specifically Aroostook County.

[Deborah Cleaves · Rating 5 out of 5]

There is something incredibly fun about finding your family and home in a casual history book about the County.

[Kathryn Klarich · Rating 5 out of 5]

The essays in this book are an absolute joy to read and paint the picture of what it is like to live in Aroostook County.