Molly Waldo! A Young Man's First Voyage to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland, Adapted from the Stories of Marblehead Fishermen of the 1800s - Hardcover

Priscilla L. Moulton; Bethe Lee Moulton

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0983636508 ISBN 13: 9780983636502

Publisher: The Glide Press, 2013

Synopsis

Imagine leaving home at the age of 16 to earn your living in the cold North Atlantic. Imagine living on a 60-foot sailboat with 6 men. After sailing to Newfoundland, you must go out each morning in a dory (a small rowboat) to fish . . . and fish . . . and fish. No engine, no electricity, no GPS, no cell phone. You must depend upon the captain, your shipmates and yourself to survive. Many fishermen from your town have never returned. Will you be swept overboard? Lost in the fog? Run down by a steamship? Drowned in a storm like your grandfather? This is no imaginary life. This was the reality of men and boys from New England seaports in the 1800s. Molly Waldo! was inspired by the storytelling art of J.O.J. Frost, who went to the Grand Banks of Newfoundland in 1868, at the age of 16. When he was 70, he painted his memories on odd pieces of wood. The Frost paintings featured in this book are in The Marblehead Museum and Historical Society (along with logs, letters, and newspaper clippings that preserve the experiences of Marblehead fishermen). The experiences of those seamen are adapted in this tale of a young man s first voyage to the Grand Banks. Molly Waldo was the joyful shout exchanged when vessels from Marblehead met on the fishing grounds. Townsmen rowed over in their dories to see familiar faces, swap yarns and share messages from home. Now readers have a chance to join those courageous men who were the bedrock of early American seaports.

About this title

About the Author:

PRISCILLA L. MOULTON championed the authors and illustrators of children s books throughout her professional career: developing school libraries, organizing events to promote children s books, reviewing for the Horn Book Magazine, and publishing Phaedrus (an international journal on children s literature). In leadership positions in the American Library Association, Priscilla participated in selecting several Newbery and Caldecott Medal winners. In 1959, as a new resident of Marblehead (MA), Priscilla first saw the paintings of J.O.J. Frost hanging in the historical society s Lee Mansion. Struck by their storytelling power, she began to imagine a book about Marblehead s history as a fishing community. Her research for that purpose became the foundation for Molly Waldo! This book for all ages pays tribute to an American historian and artist, as well as to the place that became home for the Moulton family. BETHE LEE MOULTON shares her mother s love for Marblehead. Learning to sail in the harbor, taking piano lessons next to General Glover s home and visiting Old Burial Hill are a few of the experiences that shaped the author of Molly Waldo! Like Bethe s first novel, Until Brazil, this work of historical fiction explores the theme -- Journeys Afar for Discoveries Within. After a career as an international business consultant, Bethe founded The Glide Press. The Glide is a graceful black yawl that was once a familiar sight in Marblehead Harbor. Sailing aboard the Glide, Bethe developed a deep respect for the sea and the skippers who make it home. In that spirit, she offers Molly Waldo! to its readers.

Review:

Drawing on historical events, the mother-daughter team of Priscilla L. and Bethe Lee Moulton vividly capture life in a 19th-century New England fishing community. Inspired by the paintings of J.O.J. Frost and fleshed out with biographies, a map, other artwork, and a glossary this coming-of-age tale follows fictional Jon Bowen on his first voyage aboard the fishing schooner Fides. As he battles the elements and learns the ropes, he encounters a colorful cast of characters who help him to survive along the way. The authors narrative is crisp and packed with details, providing readers with an authentic account of the perilous life of 19th-century fishermen. Frost s art, reproduced in black-and-white and full-color plates, is evocative, whimsical, and dramatic. This accessible, entertaining, and educational book should appeal to readers young and old. --Publishers Weekly, February 17, 2014 publishersweekly.com

About this edition

• Publisher: The Glide Press
• Publication date: 2013
• ISBN 10: 0983636508
• ISBN 13: 9780983636502
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 136
• Illustrator: Featuring Paintings Of J.O.J. Frost