New book released by former Allagash supervisor

    “There is a special feeling to the Allagash; a sense of adventure, the thrill of getting away from it all! But in the dark of night there is something else. A shadow lingers, hiding beyond the reach of the lantern’s fingers of light. It remains obscure in the midst of the evergreens and old growth. Among the campfires and s’mores, a bone chilling draft embraces all.  Shivering, we draw our coats tighter to protect against the rawness.”
    And so begins the description of the new book by Maine creators, Tim Caverly and Franklin Manzo Jr.  A Wilderness Rangers Journal-Rendezvous at Devil’s Elbow is the fourth book in a collection of tales derived from Caverly’s 18 years experience as the supervisor of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.
    In a Wilderness Ranger’s Journal, a prequel to their second book, the popular An Allagash Haunting, readers will canoe with ten-year old Olivia as her family heads down river from Churchill Dam. The little girl has met the ghost of Churchill Dam and wonders how her mother Jacquelyn, came to know the apparition. Late the next day, Jacquelyn reveals the forgotten words from the diary of her father, a former Waterway Supervisor, and tells of her own encounter with the spirit, years before. Listening to the stories from her grandfather’s journal, Olivia can’t believe all that has happened, right in the middle of nowhere.
    Caverly’s second book An Allagash Haunting-The Story of Emile Camile has also been adapted into a stage production with shows performed in Houlton and Millinocket in April and May of 2011. In this collaboration with the Houlton Starbright Children’s Theatre, students sang songs in French and English that captured the spirit of family, friendships and the legacy of our forest heritage. A script is available for schools and community theatre groups wishing to perform the play.
    But Tim and Frank’s work is far from finished. They already have a book of tales about animal antics planned for release in the spring of 2012 and another full-length story due to be released the following fall.  Aided by Manzo’s spectacular illustration, readers of all ages are in for a treat as they learn about the remote woods in a whole new way.
    The books are sold at several locations in Central and Northern Maine. To find a store near you go to www.allagashtails.com website and click on the “purchase information” link. For more information or learn how you can invite Tim to speak at your school or event, contact him at www.allagashtails.com or by calling his cell phone at (207) 907-0517.