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Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont
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About Off The Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont
Product Description A collection of travel essays, written with an irresistible sense of humor, keen insight, and a taste for the off-beat. Off the Leash is an exuberant grand tour of some of Vermont's most interesting and undervalued places--from the Domestic Resurrection Circus performed by giant puppets in Glover, to the Dowser's Labyrinth in Danville, to the birthplace of Joseph Smith, one of the founders of the Mormon Church, in Sharon. Vermont is full of quirky places and colorful history, and Helen Husher's collection of stories about her favorite haunts is some of the most captivating travel writing we've seen in years. At turns irreverent and witty, philosophical and wise--and always surprising--Off the Leash has elements in common with Bill Bryson's The Lost Continent: Travels in Small-Town America and Ian Frazier's Great Plains. This book goes beyond Vermont and well beyond the world of tourism to explore "the richness of life and the treasures in it, and how we lose these things in a world that seems to be mostly about speed and cash." It's a book sure to interest anyone with a taste for eccentric stories, for small-town dramas, for the way our places make us who we are. This collection is a finalist for the Heekin Group Foundation Writing Award. From Publishers Weekly Presuming that readers are sensible enough to figure out the cumbersome particulars of food and lodging for themselves, Husher applies her ferocious curiosity and opinions to other facets of Vermont travel. While she does offer basic directions and phone numbers, she's more interested in exploring and enjoying free and inexpensive pleasures. Each chapter focuses on a place that holds some mystery and fascination for Husher. She takes the reader to a cemetery in Barre, where graves are decorated with "a whimsicality you don't normally associate with burial," offering a unique history of those interred there. Another chapter describes the breakdown and rebuilding of her Vermont hometown, Randolph, after a number of fires gutted the downtown area. Husher visits a series of concrete sculptures along Interstate 89 and follows with a thoughtful essay on the intention and effectiveness of public art. Throughout, she includes little-known historical digressions, such as one about the Fenian Raids, which occurred between 1866 and 1870, when a group of Irish soldiers attempted to invade Canada from Vermont and establish an Irish republic. "It's fun to know a few things, however sloppily the knowledge is acquired," writes Husher, encouraging travelers to pick up bits of information along the wayAand her tour is bound to stir up curiosity not only about Vermont but also about all the places lost in the daze of hotels and gift shops. Illus. Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Library Journal Husher, who has written stories and articles for the Boston Phoenix, the Randolph Herald, and other publications, provides an interesting sort of travel book: a cross between travel essays and tourist guide. Arranged by geographic area, each of 12 chapters includes a description of a location in Vermont (or near Vermont), Husher's personal memories and descriptions of the spot, and historical detail and directions. One chapter highlights the Randolph fireworks and then goes on to describe Randolph's business district by recounting the story of a series of fires and the community's reactions to them. Other chapters include descriptions of the Dowsers Hall (and its labyrinth), the Bread and Puppet Museum, and the historic sites of the Fenian Raids. It is a very personal account of Vermont and will attract visitors to and residents of Vermont who have time to read before seeking adventure. Buy for public libraries.AAlison Hopkins, Queens Borough P.L., Briarwood, NY Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc. From Booklist Husher is not your usual travel writer. Instead, she looks beyond typical tourist attractions and sees interest in all sorts o
