Mollie Peer: or, The Underground Adventure of the Moosepath League

The Moosepath League #2

by Van Reid

adventurous society columnist Mollie Peer leads the secretive "Moosepath League" on a search for a street urchin named Bird, who has been captured by some very treacherous people. Reader's Guide available. Reprint.

Genres: Fiction, Historical Fiction, Humor, Adult, Adventure, Historical

332 pages, Paperback

First published July 1, 1999

Reviews

[Dollie · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third book I’ve read in The Moosepath League Series and I loved it as much as I did the other two I've read. These books don’t just make me smile or chuckle. They make me laugh out loud. Mollie Peer is a newspaper reporter in Portland, Maine in 1896. Fairly unusual for a woman in those days. One day she sees a small street urchin being tormented by a disreputable character on Portland’s Commercial Street, and enlists the help of a large bystander, Wyckford O’Hearn, to help her find the little boy, Bird, and get him out of his current situation. The members of The Moosepath League all chip in to help the boy, who everyone seems to fall in love with (including this reader). The characters are all so well-developed that it’s easy to imagine them strolling the streets of Portland, or avoiding Hubbard squash rolling down Exchange Street on market day. The kindness towards this little boy from all the major characters really endeared them all to me. If you like a good story, whether you’re from Maine or not, you can’t go wrong with these Van Reid novels. I love everything about them.

[Anna · Rating 3 out of 5]

I really want a three and a half star option here. I love these Van Reid books but I like Walton and Sundry much more than the over-the-top naivety of Eagleton, Ephram and Thump - really, are they that dumb?! Having said that, Bird trying to alert them to Amos's treachery is pretty funny - finding Thump's (I think) wallet on Amos springs immediately to mind. I loved Bird with his moose pin, needing a haircut, and attachment to Wyck. I also loved the Wyckford plot and his attachment to baseball.

I remember Cordelia Underwood being funnier than Mollie Peer but I read it so long ago that it is possible that I just don't really remember. (I'm not such a great series reader and this is a perfect example.)

['jean · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not as good as Cordelia Underwood, but great fun. Between a 3 and 4. Sometimes the bumbling, trusting nature of Ephram, Eagleton and Thump really gets on my nerves. Good clean adventure page turner set in turn-of-the-century Maine. I am really liking this series.

[Dana Crouch (Callaway) · Rating 5 out of 5]

While still delightful and mostly light hearted, this gets a bit darker than the first in the series. The writing is still rich and expertly done. An added bonus was the romantically poetic descriptions of baseball, which will always win my heart. Very much ready to continue on with the series.

[Francine Hamilton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Continuing in the adventures of The Moosepath League, I enjoyed Mollie Peer. It was very touching and I liked her character. I can't recommend these books enough if you want to read something that is rich in language, descriptive in setting and wholesome. Really love this series.

[Joni · Rating 4 out of 5]

These are so different from what you usually find in modern literature. It was a treat to read.

[Susan Roy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another fun and well-written book by this author. The characters as so fun to follow and get to know. I enjoyed the whole series...so sorry he has stopped writing them.

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Start with Cordelia Underwood then meet your old Moosepath League friends in this second installment. Portland Maine in 1896. I love them all.

[Paulina · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great fun. A little convuluted in spots.

[Lisa McNally · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is another great book in the Moosepath League series. Eagleton, Ephram, and Thump continue to be the comic relief which was much needed as Bird’s sad, dark story was the focus of Mollie’s journalism.

[Karis Campeau · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is part of an intriguing, charming, and simply fun series with delightfully colorful characters!

[Teri · Rating 5 out of 5]

Even better than the first book!! Absolutely loved it! One of the best contemporary writers I have ever read, on par with Susanna Clark which is about the highest compliment I can give.

[Haley · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed the second installment in this series. The characters were absolutely hysterical, the mystery kept me guessing, and I loved Wyck and Mollie!

[Chris Bubb · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was actually my third attempt to read "Mollie Peer". I picked up the series based on Nancy Pearl's recommendation in "Book Lust" (which I find to be an invaluable companion in my reading), and thought that "Cordelia Underwood" was quite enjoyable. I looked forward to reading the next Moosepath League book, but something strange happened: I couldn't finish it.

Something about the formula chafed at me. "Mollie Peer" felt like a rehash of the first book--similar setting, many of the same characters, plucky heroine at the center. It seemed formulaic to me, like Van Reid had come up with a recipe and was following it to the letter a second time. I made two attempts to get through it, but foundered at about page 30 both times.

This time I felt some of the same emotions, but decided to stick it out (putting it up on Goodreads gave me the impetus to keep going--not that I think anyone is actually reading my status updates, but it does create a feeling of accountability to put my reading list where anyone can see it). And interestingly enough, when I gave it a chance, "Mollie Peer" won me over. This was the most pleasurable reading experience I've had in a long while.

Don't get me wrong, there are some problems with this book. The biggest one is, I think, the heroine herself. Mollie Peer is a very flat character to me. She exists mainly to drive the plot along, and Van Reid's attempts to humanize her come off poorly. The romance between her and Wyckford O'Hearn feels like it's stuck in first gear for most of the book. It's standard practice in stories like this to have the boy and girl who are supposed to be together start out hating each other and then drift into love. But in Mollie Peer, the two romantic leads start out uncomfortable together, and stay there for the majority of the action. Reid doesn't really try to connect them until the end. He may have intended to flesh the romance out more in the next Moosepath League book, but it felt awkward here.

Also, the Moosepathians themselves are an acquired taste. For long stretches they feel like a collection of quirks instead of fully-drawn characters. I've seen other reviewers call them annoying and I can see why they felt that way. I came to see their blind innocence as necessary, the totem of the series, but I can see how other people would grow tired of them.

But there are really good parts too. Toby Walton is a great character, with warmth and geniality coming out of every pore, and Sundry Moss is excellent as well. These two form the heart of this book and their adventures are always fresh and engaging. Also, Wyck O'Hearn, the tragic ballplayer, had a compelling story arc, and I thought his concern for Bird was believable (much more so than Mollie's). The story of the Needle, the Stone, and the Mirror is a brilliant setpiece and is worth the read on its own. I found Henry Echo's story to be enjoyably mysterious as well, and Reid ties everything together very well at the end.

Overall, I have found this to be an excellent series, well worth anyone's attention. My advice to anyone picking up the Moosepath League books is, be patient and let Van Reid work his spell. You will be glad you did.

[Colleen · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book, like the last one, is slow going, but worth it. It's so nice to read a book about mostly nice people! The common thread tying these books together is the Moosepath League--Ephram, Eagleton, and Thump. But I think the books could do without them. They're annoying. I liked the characters of Mollie Peer and Wyckford O'Hearn and watching their contentious relationship develop into love. The author left that part of the book dangling but I suppose it'll be resolved in the next book.

[Julie · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little more confusing but fabulous.

[Terry Southard · Rating 3 out of 5]

3 1/2 stars.

[Becky · Rating 4 out of 5]

More Moosepathian fun.

[Gregory Andis · Rating 4 out of 5]

2nd in the series.