Out of the Woods

Out of the Woods

Picture book
The narrative and illustrations of Rebecca Bond's Out of the
Woods: A True Story of an Unforgettable Event are deceptively
modest. The tale they convey is quite unforgettable.
In 1914 narrator Antonio lives in a pretty isolated hotel run by
his mother. He's the only child around. But he is satisfied with the
hotel's staff and visitors. His favorite place is the less posh third
floor where the long forest workers (as opposed to the more posh
passing through travelers in their private rooms) bunked, played
cards, made music, and told probably quite ribald stories. He's also
fascinated by the wild woods denizens.
One too dry summer smoke is spotted. In the face of the raging
flames there's only one place of relative safety for human or beast.
It's the scene of a once in a lifetime miracle.
Fortunately his story was preserved and shared by his
granddaughter.
On a personal note, I had about the best Fourth of July anyone could
possibly have. Eugene and I went to the parade in Brewer. We had
barbecue in Winterport, surrounded by all our children. We ended the
evening back in Brewer, watching the fireworks from the banks of the
Penobscot River.
A great big shout out goes out to all who made the parade and
fireworks happen.
jules hathaway


Sent from my iPod