THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES is exactly the kind of book I love to read and that is difficult to find: well-written slice-of-life nonfiction that reveals interesting characters engaged in some slightly oddball endeavor. Often these are mid-list books that don't have the mass appeal of, say, a Tom Clancy novel or a celebrity biography.
THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES is the second book by Linda Greenlaw, who gained a bit of fame for her part in THE PERFECT STORM by Sebastian Junger (she was the last person to talk to the Andrea Gail crew on that fated trip). Greenlaw's first book, THE HUNGRY OCEAN, told the intriguing story of 30 days aboard a swordfish boat, which she skippered. THE HUNGRY OCEAN appeared on bestseller lists and was declared "a triumph" by the New York Times Book Review. It was an insightful and wonderfully written account, with much satisfying technical information about deep-sea fishing on the Grand Banks.
THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES is less of an adventure story than Greenlaw's first book. It is a somewhat quieter story of her return to family, home, and island life --- and about the day-to-day business of lobstering. After 18 years of commercial fishing, and after captaining a swordfish boat since 1986, Greenlaw decided to return to Isle au Haut, a tiny Maine Island with 47 year-round residents (Greenlaw is related to about half of them) to become a lobsterman. In her second book, she chronicles about one year of her life on the island.
She graduated from Colby College in 1983, where she majored in English. Even though I recently heard her say in an interview that she really doesn't like writing and only does it to help pay the bills, she is a marvelous writer. For example, she reflects on the time she has spent waiting for Mr. Right; after noting that her sister called her first book "a 260-page personal ad," Greenlaw writes:
"Coming to the Island to start a family was a goal I had set for myself, and one of the main catalysts for my decision to give up offshore work. I had some very nice boyfriends during my swordfishing days, but there's just something about 'Thanks for dinner. See you in thirty days' that is not conducive to second dates. Since coming ashore, my status had not changed, forcing me to consider the possibility that my fishing schedule had not been the problem. Moving to the Island was not the best way to facilitate the family plan. There are three single men in residence; two of them are gay and the third is my cousin."
Greenlaw isn't shy about gently harpooning either herself or some of the other eccentric island residents, and she clearly has a wonderful eye for detail and characters. Greenlaw comes across as honest, smart, opinionated, self-deprecating yet confident, and funny.
This is a very pleasant and enjoyable book, but be warned --- after reading THE LOBSTER CHRONICLES, you may want to chuck your job and move to a small New England island to become a fisherman. At the least, you'll wish you could spend some time in person with Linda Greenlaw.
--- Reviewed by Michael J. Dooris (mjd1@psu.edu)
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