Snow Waste [Paperback]

Michael E. Bemis (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: February 7, 2003

Paralleling the modern day struggle between corporate America and the environmental movement, which is increasingly becoming violent, Snow Waste demystifies a ski resort's future success and a paper mill's resolve to survive by exacerbating perennial land and water use issues.From three viewpoints-the resort's conscientious but naïve chief of snowmaking, its unscrupulous owner, and an ethical whistle blower environmentalist-Snow Waste tells a story of greed, personal motivation, and heroic determination to do, at all cost, what is right. Set deep in the Western Mountains of Maine, Snow Waste demonstrates the strong force that community plays in our survival and it probes deeply into the lives of its characters, proving that one's ability to sink or swim is often rooted in their past.In a straightforward yet enthralling story, Snow Waste chronicles the hardships of everyday life and the triumphs that are sometimes unspoken and unseen. The memorable characters and their unpretentious escapades that are brought to life on the pages of Snow Waste are destined to leave an indelible mark in the minds and hearts of its readers.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"...an engrossing mystery set in a Maine ski resort. Good characters and plot are strong points..." -- Jim Neff, Editor, MichiganSkier.com, November 2004

"...classic New England characters and small town thinking... Perfect in-flight reading for your next ski vacation." -- About.com

"Ever since my eyes dropped into the pages of this book I've been intrigued by the lives of these characters." -- Greg, Editor/Webmaster, Greg's Snowriding Zone, November 2004

"The author does a remarkable job of building the characters of the novel, making them real, and even familiar..." -- Magic City Morning Star, May 2003

Bemis' elegant prose flows beautifully...Bemis' novel is an absolute delight...very highly recommended. -- WordWeaving, February 26, 2004

The setting is pure Bethel (Maine)...This book is sure to be a sleeper hit. -- Bethel Citizen (Bethel, Maine), December 24, 2003

From the Publisher

Simply told, yet enchantingly complex, Snow Waste is a gripping story that will linger long in the souls of its readers.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 506 pages
• Publisher: iUniverse (February 7, 2003)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0595264603
• ISBN-13: 978-0595264605
• Product Dimensions: 9.1 x 6 x 1.2 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.6 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 5.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (7 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #2,738,702 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Snow Waste: A Maine Story, May 7, 2003

By 

Kenneth F. Anderson "kfander" (Millinocket, ME) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Snow Waste (Paperback)

Meet Joe Littlefield, the chief of snowmaking for the White Woods Ski Resort. Joe is a competent supervisor; honest, perhaps a little naive, yet loyal and devoted to his work. With eyes on a promotion to Mountain Operations Manager, he nevertheless proves capable of heroic resolve, showing a determination to do the right thing, even when it conflicts with personal aspirations.

His boss, Warren Ainsworth, the owner of White Woods, has a drinking problem and an obsession for developing Carter Peak, which would make White Wood one of the largest ski resorts in the East.

Doug Andrews, an environmental activist with a past, had moved with his wife from Massachusetts to Cannon, Maine five years earlier. In search of a simpler life, the couple runs an antique shop, yet Doug has not abandoned his fervor for protecting the environment, nor has he quite given up on his aspirations of a seat on the Natural Environmental Council, of which he is a member.

Told through the perspective of these three very different individuals, Snow Waste is a story of ethical values, greed, and personal motivation, coming together in a setting that could exist many places throughout the state of Maine.

Cannon, Maine - a fictitious town, economically dependent upon the White Woods Ski Resort, but located near the real towns of Clifton and Dixfield, has always accomodated the resort, sometimes by looking the other way.

Snow Waste plays upon the forces that unite the townspeople, the resort, and even the nearby mill, once owned but now operated by Victor, a friend who has much in common with Warren Ainsworth.

The author does a remarkable job of building the characters of the novel, making them real, and even familiar to anyone who has lived in rural Maine; and he does so in the context of an intriguing story, one that acknowledges the hardships of life in Maine, as well as the small and the subtle victories that so often remain hidden to the larger world. Along the way, and as an added plus, the reader learns an awful lot about snowmaking.

The short of it is that I loved the story, and I don't even ski.

The author, Michael E. Bemis, is a career law enforcement officer, educator, lifelong skier, and ski resort buff. He lives in Maine.

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Very highly recommended, February 25, 2004

By 

C. Penn "WordWeaving" (Greenville, SC) - See all my reviews
(REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Snow Waste (Paperback)

With the season's first dipping into freezing temperatures, Joe looks forward to making snow for a ski resort set deep in the Western Mountains of Maine. Joe looks forward to a successful season after a record-breaking start. But Joe's innocent view of snowmaking does not necessarily match management's view. While Joe delights in laying down snow and providing a successful season for the resort, the owner makes his own plans.

Without enough capitol to expand in the direction he wants to go and with a dearth of investors, the owner Warren resorts to an illegal deal with a local lumber mill to raise extra capitol. Warren does not know just how close an environmentalist watches, or how determined he will be in protecting the mountain and its inhabitants. Meanwhile, others watch as well, leading to unexplained accidents and destruction of property that brings the scrutiny of law enforcement and the media alike.

Three extremely diverse perspectives expose the dangers of greed, necessity and innocence in author Michael E. Bemis' SNOW WASTE. While the text is rather dense at times with needful explanation and exploration of technicalities and legalities, Bemis' elegant prose flows beautifully, making it easy for those who know the information to scan detail quickly yet keeping the explanations palatable for the uninitiated - truly a remarkable narrative feat. Indeed, Bemis utilizes his years in law enforcement and love of the snow to render a tale that is both powerful and thought provoking. While I often hesitate to review self published work, particularly from publishers like iUniverse, because of the extensive proofing and editing errors I often find in such work, Bemis' novel is an absolute delight with remarkably few proofing errors and an exceptional narrative voice. I can only hope that Bemis continues to pen such remarkable novels. SNOW WASTE comes very highly recommended.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Highly Recommended, February 20, 2006

By 

Monkey Fan "George" (Fayetteville, PA USA) - See all my reviews

This review is from: Snow Waste (Paperback)

Author Michael E. Bemis did an excellent job on making the characters come to life. I can relate to so many characters in this book since I also worked at a local ski resort. I recommeded this book to all of my skiing friends and family.