Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont [Hardcover]

Helen Husher (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: September 1, 1999

A grand tour of some of Vermont's most interesting and undervalued places, this guide ranges 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 colourful history, and "Off the Leash" goes 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 is a guide that should interest anyone with a taste for eccentric stories, for small-town dramas, for the way our places make us who we are.

Editorial Reviews

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.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 192 pages
• Publisher: Countryman Press; 1st edition (September 1, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0881504270
• ISBN-13: 978-0881504279
• Product Dimensions: 7.8 x 5.3 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 11.7 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #985,900 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
  • #11 in Books > Travel > United States > States > Vermont

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

11 of 11 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The real Vermont, from a rusty Subaru, December 3, 1999

By A Customer

This review is from: Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont (Hardcover)

I love this book! Helen Husher makes a great tour guide. She spends as little money as she can while bumping along Vermont's back roads and interstates to find the quirkiest and most inspiring places and stories. A travel book like no other.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars A Fascinating Little Book, October 9, 2002

By A Customer

This review is from: Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont (Hardcover)

This book was given to me as a gift from a friend of mine who knows how fanatically in love with my home state I am. I was skeptical, expecting another quaintifying take on how picturesque Vermont supposedly is. Instead, I found a thoughtful, well-researched book, full of discoveries and anecdotes surprising even to a Vermonter whose family has lived in the state for generations. Husher captures what's truly amazing about the state, and any small place really - the accessibility and exhilarating simplicity of its beauty and its history.

2 of 2 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Finding interest in the commonplace, June 23, 2000

By 

Stan Purdum (N. Canton, Ohio) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Off the Leash: Subversive Journeys Around Vermont (Hardcover)

This is a well-written, relaxing read that takes pleasure in common things. Far from being a guidebook in the usual sense, it guides the reader into a state of mind that helps him view his own world with more interest, even if he never visits Husher's Vermont.