Customer Reviews

Adirondack Gold II: A Summer of Strangers

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Adirondack Gold II, A Summer of Strangers, doesn't have a nasty character in it. It is "sweet and lovable." No mean people, no dirty words ... no demons, no devils, nobody flying around on broomsticks. It is wholesome and it's real. Real live people in real life situations.

It's FFA, FHA, and 4H - if you know what those initials symbolize, you will love this book even more.

It's bringing in the crops, cutting and drying the hay, milking cows, gathering eggs, a boy raising and loving a colt.

It's poor country living and all those troublesome economic decisions that go along with working the land and being raised on a small farm.

It is also history. It's about life in a rural community called Thurman, in the Adirondack Mountains a hundred and fifty years ago. It takes the reader back to a time when hard work was understood and "struggle" was a part of every day. The author obviously put a lot of work into researching this period and it shows.

Hollis and his mom came there with a mountain of troubles in Adirondack Gold I, but you don't have to know Adirondack Gold I to get Adirondack Gold II. It is better if you have read both books but not necessary.

Hollis is a young boy. He has ability and aspires to become an artist. He loves drawing. He is surrounded by a Walton-esque barrage of wonderful homegrown country folk - adopted family and neighbors. He meets a mysterious stranger in the woods and struggles with his new city cousin rival.

The problems and obstacles in this book are not supernatural monsters from another planet or blood sucking vampires but Mother Nature and life - old age, growing up, childhood jealousies, giving birth, dying and dreams where the reach seems to exceed the grasp - and the pocket book.

Everything gets difficult and involves a lot of growing up sacrifices on the part of young Hollis but a surprise ending ties all the pieces together and leaves the reader sitting in his reading chair with a big, warm smile.


Persis ("Perky") Granger: Perky is an avid reader and a writer of fiction and nonfiction, including Adirondack Gold, A Summer of Strangers and Shared Stories from Daughters of Alzheimer's: Writing a path to peace. She studied at the College of Wooster (OH) and the University of Massachusetts (Amherst), earning a BA at the latter. She later completed her Master of Science in Teaching at SUNY Plattsburgh.
She presents programs to adults and youth, and hosts writers' retreats in New York and Florida. Learn more at [...]

Richard Edward Noble - The Hobo Philosopher - Author of:

"A Summer with Charlie" Salisbury Beach, Lawrence YMCA

"A Summer of Strangers" is a young adult story about a young man's conflicts between his family and his need to develop his own special talent (as an artist). It is also a peek back at rural life at the end of the nineteenth century in an upstate New York Adirondack community. In a finely drawn portrayal of the day-to-day farming activities required for survival in that harsh environment, the author intertwines a series of complex plot lines. The young protagonist, Hollis, (who first appeared in "Adirondack Gold", set a few years prior in the same community) gradually recognizes his responsibilities to both himself and his family. His actions on several fronts result in a successful and satisfying resolution to all of the plot lines.
The story is never dull or uninteresting. The author seamlessly weaves the chores of the rustic life with the personal story of Hollis' development and intermixes a good dose of homespun charm in the process. Hopefully we will be able to follow Hollis' further development in this author's next novel ("A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man -II"?)

A person is the sum of those around them. "Adirondack Gold II: A Summer of Strangers" is the coming of age story of young Hollis Ingraham, who is set to spend a summer with strangers; during this time, he learns much of the world. A followup to the original "Adirondack Gold", "A Summer of Strangers" is a fine work of historical fiction sure to entertain readers well, aimed particularly at young adults.

It's the summer of 1898, and in Thurman, New York, 13-year-old Hollis Ingraham faces a summer where he will have to make decisions that place his desires in potential conflict with those of his family. What shall he do when he discovers a campsite in the woods? Will he be able to keep the colt, Pippin, whom he loves dearly, or will family circumstances force his stepfather to sell Pippin?
Hollis' art talent is put to good use by the stranger at the campsite, who becomes Hollis' friend as together they write and illustrate a nature book. As summer draws to a close, Hollis is able to come to terms with the decisions that seem best for his family and for what he hopes will be in his future.
Persis Granger brings Hollis, his family, and his friends to vivid life. We sweat in the sun making hay; we labor in the barn, inhaling the earthy aromas of livestock and fresh mown hay. We share the family's concerns and daily chores. And what a treat to pause for a moment and enjoy the beautiful illustrations by Laurel G. Nittinger!
A Summer of Strangers was written for young adult readers, but as an adult, I found A Summer of Strangers a wonderful way to escape today's troubles and to spend a summer when life seemed a little simpler. I was pleased to learn that Hollis' summer experiences opened some exciting doors for him, but I was sorry when autumn arrived and I had to leave Hollis. I hope I'll have the opportunity to experience life with Hollis as he grows towards manhood.

Laurie Loveman, Author
MEMORIES: Firehouse Family Series Book One
THE QUARRY: Firehouse Family Series Book Two
THE FARM FIRES: Firehouse Family Series Book Three