From Publishers Weekly
Reid's rolicking followup to the sprawling historical comedy Cordelia Underwood returns to 1890s Portland, Maine, for the further exploits of Tobias Walton and his merry, bumbling do-gooders, the Moosepathians. Mollie Peer, a suffragette reporter, senses a good story when she impulsively follows a frightened street urchin called Bird to Portland's harbor. When he is claimed by menacing Mr. Pembleton, she realizes that Bird's life is in danger, and she enlists the help of baseball player Wyckford O'Hearn. Soon they are joined by the Moosepath League's Ephram, Eagleton and Thump, gallant and well-meaning (if less than keen) gentlemen who never shirk their duty, especially when women and children are concerned. Since their leader, Walton, and his sidekick, Sundry Moss, are away on amorous pursuits, the remaining three Moosepathians must rescue Bird on their own. On the run from the child's pursuers, they encounter the mysterious Indian, John Neptune; the infamous Quibbling Society, a nefarious gang of smugglers that includes two Shakespearean actors; and a man convinced he will die at midnight. Plots, subplots, bizarre Americana, vivid period prose and vintage Down East oddities proliferate from there. Though all the major players here appeared in Cordelia Underwood, readers need not have read that book to enjoy this one. Reid's zigzag plot and the boatloads of comic minor characters recall Oliver Twist, though Reid's aims are certainly lighter than his classic model. He extracts humor from nearly every detail, writing with a gleeful vigor, evokingAnay, escaping toAa time when men trembled at the sight of a lovely woman, baseball and newspapers had just begun to flourish, and adventures seemed to await all comers at every boardinghouse, tavern, railway station and wharf. Author tour. (July) FYI: Reid manages the Maine Coast Book Shop in Damariscotta.
Copyright 1999 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
From School Library Journal
YA-It is October 8, 1896. Mollie Peer, social columnist for the Eastern Argus, is walking with her housemate in Portland, ME, when they encounter a waif named Bird. Before the conversation progresses much beyond introductions, the boy is whisked away by the nefarious Mr. Pembleton and all of Mollie's reporter instincts come into play. Thus, the stage is set, and Mollie is off in pursuit of the child and his abductor. Along the way, she meets several characters introduced in Cordelia Underwood: Or the Marvelous Beginnings of the Moosepath League (Viking, 1998). They and others assist her in her efforts to rescue Bird from Mr. Pembleton and his evil associates. Reid weaves a tale of mystery and intrigue while engaging readers with his captivating cast of characters, his many plots and subplots, and his vivid descriptions of Maine and life along the coast of 19th-century New England. Readers familiar with Charles Dickens will find comparisons irresistible, but for today's young adults, Reid might prove the more accessible author.
Pamela B. Rearden, Centreville Regional Library, Fairfax County, VA Copyright 2000 Reed Business Information, Inc.
--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.
