“Noted newspaperman, writer, and poet Charles Parker Ilsley of Portland made a significant contribution to Maine literature when he published Forest and Shore in 1856. This engaging collection of stories, enhanced by modern annotation, brings to life that pioneering period in the state’s literary past when authors sought to incorporate regional historical themes and local settings into their work. These vivid tales of forest and shore will capture the imagination of readers a century and half after they first appeared.
—Earle G. Shettleworth, Jr.
Maine State Historian
“Stylistically, Charles P. Ilsley’s narratives hover somewhere between the adventures of James Fenimore Cooper’s Leatherstocking and true folklore. The stories themselves put me in mind of Washington Irving’s early American legends but offer all the more pleasure to anyone who loves the State of Maine. They are rich in language and evocative of this particular place, its past, and its people. The publishers have done readers and historians a great service by bringing this original literary father back to light.”
—Van Reid
Author of the Cordelia Underwood and the Moosepath Saga
Forest and Shore shares some amazing stories about early Maine. We learn about our history as well as about the prevailing attitudes of the 19th Century. Warning! These attitudes are very different from those of the present day. It’s must reading for anyone with a serious interest in Maine history.
—Bill Green
Bill Green’s Maine, WCSH, Portland, Maine
“This republication of Forest and Shore offers us a three-lens view of Maine frontier encounters, both natural and cultural, in peacetime and wartime, via: our ancestors’ supposed attitudes from Colonial times; Ilsley’s perception of those attitudes circa 1850; and through useful notes added by the republisher to more readily prompt our own current attitudinal assessments. These vividly portrayed stories retain their edge to hold our interest while we consider the Colonists’, Ilsley’s, and our own reactions to frontier forces, and their presentation. Taming the wild is a common theme throughout this classic.
—Alvin Hamblen Morrison, Ph D
Ethnohistorical anthropologist
“This is a treasure trove of stories, a tantalizing glimpse into another world, another time. One hundred and fifty years later, these tales still fascinate and enthrall. For those of us who love Maine, Forest and Shore is a reminder of what makes this place so special.
—Tess Gerritsen
Author of Vanish
“The new edition of Forest and Shore is a thoughtfully produced volume that adds to our growing knowledge of Maine literature. Not only does Charles P. Ilsley re-emerge as an important contributor to a productive era in local art and writing, but the compilers help illuminate his place in that complex and exciting time. Both scholars and casual readers are in their debt.