I really got into this book. It's the first in a series about a woman who grows up on an island in Maine, where lobstering is the chief occupation. I'd enjoy it even if I didn't live up here, but it gave me a real look into the challenges of that kind of life.I have friends who live on some of the island around here, but I had no idea what life could be like on them. This novel was first published in 1944, but you really don't get a sense of it being a period piece. The price of lobster is mentioned, and some of the clothing briefly, and the attitudes towards what was considered women's work are all there, but I know some island people who still have the same viewpoints! The relationships between people are a prime focus, and endure no matter how long ago it was written. You are really immersed in that whole way of life.
Elisabeth Ogilvie (1917-2006) was a long-time resident of Gay’s Island and Cushing (52 years) and author of the Tide trilogy set on fictional Bennett’s Island (real-life Criehaven): perfect novels that do what perfect novels do, sweep you out of whatever’s going on, good or bad, and into a world of tragedy and humor and unpretentiousness, beautifully described and felt. Ms. Ogilvie lived just down the Cushing peninsula from us, but I didn’t discover that until it was too late. I would have made a pilgrimage.
What do You think about High Tide At Noon (1971)?
I've read the Bennett's Island series by Elisabeth Ogilvie many times and I love them more each time. Ogilvie was a Maine writer and she infuses her stories with vivid descriptions of the physical beauty of the island. But the books are not sentimental. They detail the hard life of a lobstering family from the 1930's through the second World War. It's not really a family saga, though, as most of the books are told through the point of view of Joanna Bennett, who ages through the series. If you love excellent writing and storytelling, I highly recommend this series.
—Judy
