REVIEWS - Allagash Tails

CONVERSATIONS: RANGER TALES FROM MAINE with Buzz and Tim Caverly
Greenville 9/10/2023
We’re the family from Atlanta that met you at the Greenville Fly-In. You signed your Conversations book for my son.
We wanted to let you know he finished it last night! He liked the entire thing - especially discussing your wife’s plans for your burial. He laughed and laughed.
Thanks so much. Apparently we need more books!
Kelly

Newspapers Review of Tim's new book 'Conversations' July 14, 2023
MAINE AUTHORS Posted July 14
Kennebec Journal / Morning Sentinel
BUSHNELL ON BOOKS:

CONVERSATIONS: RANGER TALES FROM MAINE

CONVERSATIONS: RANGER TALES FROM MAINE by Tim
and Buzz Caverly; Leicester Bay Books, 2023; 254 pages, $18.95;
ISBN 978-1-7322456-1-7.
Over the years Maine readers have enjoyed books by
game wardens, law enforcement officers, and all
manner of outdoors men and women. Now Buzz and
Tim Caverly add to their own series of park ranger
stories with
this 12th volume in their “Allagash Tails Collection.”
“Conversations” continues the brothers’ entertaining
memoirs of careers as park rangers: Buzz (the older) as
a ranger and director of Baxter State Park, and Tim as a
ranger in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway. Now
retired, their combined ranger experience totals nearly
80 years and they’ve got the stories to prove it.
The book contains 30 stories and a few poems, offering
tales both hilarious and poignant, exciting and tender, even a few zingers about meddling
politicians. This is great fun and easy reading. There are stories about wildlife, weather,
ranger duties, problems, mishaps, and some very colorful characters they’ve met in the
wilderness.
“How Smart Are Beavers” answers that question, that is, if anyone actually believes this
very funny story. “Muskrat Love” isn’t just an old song title, it’s a tale about rodent
romance. In “Winter Walk,” Tim tells of unexpectedly meeting a newlywed couple on a
snowshoe honeymoon in a bitterly cold Allagash February.

Other stories tell of rescuing a lost hunter in the winter, the early days of “whoop and
holler communications” (hand-crank telephones and touchy two-way radios), a tense
chainsaw confrontation with a renegade guide, hunting accidents and lost children, as
well as Tim’s interesting conversation with an unsuspecting poacher.
Best and funniest is “Allagash Medicine,” where old Henry offers Tim an unusual
medicinal cocktail (vodka seasoned with a beaver’s dried scent gland), and tells the same
fishing story over and over. Learn, too, about the new meaning of the term “baited
breath.”
Bill Bushnell lives and writes in Harpswell.

Central Aroostook Jr High School on Tim and Susan's visits with 4th and 7th grades on Jan 19, 2023
Thank you so much, Tim! I spoke with several students and the 4th grade teachers yesterday and they had so much fun. One student told me she wishes class was like that every day!
Thank you, again, for making the trip!
Best wishes,
Natasha Brewer, Librarian & Gifted and Talented Teacher
SAD 42
Mars Hill, Maine

READER WRITES ABOUT TIM'S BOOK, "THE RANGER'S WIFE."
ON 4/27/22 I received the following about my book 'The Ranger's Wife,' and thought I'd share a portion of the note. Thank you Karen for writing.
"Now here's a weird compliment. But prior to reading your [Ranger's Wife], I was dutifully reading a worthy book about a soldier that worked at Arlington Nat. Cemetery. However, when I picked up your book, I felt such a sense of relaxation come over me. It was as if, reading your book, I'd gone into the woods myself. "Away from the grind" kind of a feeling. Hard to describe, but it was weirdly relaxing after reading the "heavy" other.
Liked your latest [Maine Sportsman] column, too."
Karen

ALLAGASH TAILS VISIT WITH SOCIETY FOR PROTECTION OF NEW HAMPSHIRE FORESTS
APRIL 5, 2022
Thank you Tim and Susan- a thoroughly enjoyable program on Tuesday night in Hillsboro at Fox Forest.
So many positive comments as folks filed out the door smiling. One gentleman who had stayed to talk said simply “Fantastic!”
The smiles on faces is best testament to the success of the program.
I recognize your practiced performance art in storytelling… I watched the audience lean-in.
Very nice when Susan read your granddaughter’s poems and there was spontaneous tiny ripple of applause,
folks held back a little there - like clapping in church?

Also for me, the way you took us along on the canoe trip down the Allagash as a progression of places and history through stories and photos was perfect. I appreciate how you shared the ghost story and the alien abduction story without a hint of betraying your own beliefs or prodding skeptics. Just stated the story as it is alleged to have happened without voting-in on whether fact or fiction.

Our Cottrell-Baldwin Environmental Lecture Series at Fox Forest in Hillsboro tends to identify a different and particular unifying theme each year and we vary content over many years. Topics range from science and research to natural and cultural history including wildlife, rare species management, forests and forestry, edible and medicinal plants, ecology, bogs/wetlands, water, climate. While we have hosted authors in this series, we’ve rarely hosted storytelling and travel theme.

Thank you so very much for broadening our horizon and entertaining our guests!

With best our wishes,
Dave Anderson
Senior Director of Education
Society for the Protection of N.H. Forests

TIM AND SUSAN SHARE THEIR ALLAGASH TAILS WITH ALTON ELEMENTARY SCHOOL
March 30, 2022
To Whom it may concern,

I am very pleased to write this recommendation for Tim, Susan, and Sandi! We were very happy to have them visit our school in January and again in March.

When Tim and Susan visited in January they presented twice, first to grades 3 through 5, and then again to grades K through 2. Both presentations were age appropriate to the grade span and were absolutely wonderful! They were both packed with fun and interesting information. Tim and Susan’s presentations held every student’s attention and the excitement that they felt was evident in their smiling faces and interactions with Tim and Susan.

In March Sandi joined us as well for a presentation on the Writing Workshop for grades 2 through 5! Again, the students were engaged throughout the entire presentation. Writing Workshop is a difficult topic to talk about, yet Tim, Susan, and Sandi did an outstanding job! Sprinkled throughout the presentation were personal stories and examples to solidify concepts and to make them fun and interesting.

Tim and Susan also visited our Young Author’s Camp, that was held at the University of Maine at Orono, to share their Writer’s Workshop presentation. Students again were actively engaged and enthusiastic about the presentation!

I highly recommend having Tim, Susan, and Sandi visit and look forward to having them visit our school again!

Sincerely,
Laurie Ouellette M.Ed, C.A.S.
Alton Elementary School
RSU 34
(207) 394-2331

CRITIQUES FOR THE LATEST BOOK FROM ALLAGASH TAILS TITLED 'FROM WITHIN-INTRIGUE ON THE ALLAGASH.' FIRST PRINTING MARCH 1ST, 2022

“From Within: Intrigue on the Allagash is the perfect book for a cold, snowy Maine day. It recalls paddles down Johnson Stream to Allagash Lake, with its campsites and caves and abandoned fire tower. It’s a good story, and as the pages turn, readers will get to know ranger life in the backwoods, the isolation, gas refrigerators and lights...a way of life too many never will experience, It’s a tough job protecting our resources, while always alert to the influence of weather, and unfortunately, politics.” — A. Mark Woodward, Retired Editor, Bangor Daily News, March 1, 2022

“Tim-Thank you for sending the book. I must say I recognized a lot of the characters and found the events to be an accurate description of what my husband and I faced when we lived on the Allagash. Many which continued after we left. Amazing this was all so long ago. It seems like yesterday.” —The wife of the AWW’s first Superintendent. The former Mrs. Leigh Hoar, March 3^rd, 2022

PRESQUE ISLE MIDDLE SCHOOL ENJOYS 'AUTHOR IN RESIDENCE' VISIT BY TIM CAVERLY DECEMBER 16, 2019

CRITIQUE OF TIM'S BOOK THE RANGER'S WIFE BY LIBRARIAN OF FAYE O'LEARY HAFFORD LIBRARY IN ALLAGASH VILLAGE
Dec. 16, 2019
I just finished reading your book"The Ranger's Wife". I loved it. It is very well written and brought back memories when Mum and Dad were working on the waterway. Recognizing so many of the locations mentioned in your book made it feel so familiar and I identified with it immediately! Great stuff Tim and Sue...keep on writing! Randi Jandreau

SCHOOL LIBRARIAN ENJOYED THEIR SCHOOLS VISIT FROM ALLAGASH TAILS
“Tim and Susan are incredible easy to work with and bring a rich background to the [school] day. They adapt presentations to fit each audience and are highly perceptive with regards to students needs and interests. They make the process of writing accessible to all…”
Librarian Natasha Brewer SAD42, Mars Hill, Maine

June 5, 2019
Tim is an excellent presenter and writes about our North wilderness in ways that truly bring it to life for me. I have known Tim for a few years and have come to have a deep respect for his approach to his writings. He is deeply interested in the children of New England and their introduction to the bounties of the natural world surrounding us. Our [Kiwanis of Milo] club has had the pleasure of sponsoring his program in our schools. We believe if fits very well with the interest of Kiwanis in the children of our community and the world.
David J Pullen
Orneville Twp, Maine 04463

SOLDIERS LIBRARY IN HIRAM, MAINE OCTOBER 2018
I want to share the news of a really neat program we had last month with author Tim Caverly, of the "Allagash Tails" collection.

We chose his "So You Think You Know Maine" slide-show presentation, and were delighted to learn several fascinating tidbits about our wonderful state - as well as about Tim and his "growing-up" years. You might want to ask him about his school science program !! 😉

I hope you get the chance to have him come to your library - you won't be disappointed!
-Pam

Teacher Evaluations on new book from Allagash Tails/Christmas in Cornville
Re: Tim Caverly’s Christmas in Cornville story
I used Mr. Caverly’s book about Christmas in Cornville for both my literacy and Maine history unit. The students loved reading about how times were “a long time ago.”
The concept of a one-room schoolhouse (with an outdoor bathroom) showed them not only how much things have changed, but how fortunate they are now. The students enjoyed both the humor and the history that this book provided. This book would be a great resource for the classroom.
Please let me know if I may provide additional information.
Jason Herrick
July 19, 2018
4^th Grade Teacher
Canaan Elementary School
178 Main St, Canaan, ME 04924

Paula Whittemore
July 28th, 2018
5^th grade teacher
Canaan Elementary
178 Main St. Canaan, Maine 04976

To Whom It May Concern:
Re: Tim Caverly’s Christmas in Cornville
When Dixie Ring, librarian at the Canaan Public Library, asked the staff at my school if we wanted our students involved in the editing process of Mr. Caverly’s book, Christmas in Cornville, I jumped on it. Part of the curriculum for fifth grade students is the tedious job of editing written work. This seemed like the perfect opportunity for my students to experience this process with a published author. Not only did my students get to use the editing, grammar, and spelling skills that had been taught in class, but they also got to learn a bit of history from a local town at the same time. This piece is also filled with rich vocabulary. With everything this book and author have to offer, I recommend it for any classroom.

If you have any questions, feel free to contact me.

Sincerely,
Paula Whittemore

Reader praises Tim’s book ‘Solace.’
Thanks again for entertaining us with your wit and wisdom [at the Maine Atlantic Salmon Museum meeting of May 19th, 2017]. I just finished Solace, and can’t tell you how much I enjoyed reliving being in the North Maine Woods–‘thank you’ isn’t enough.

Paul Sevign
Maine Atlantic Salmon Museum
Holden, Maine

Dirigo Pines Hosts Allagash Tails
Tim Caverly had done several presentations at our retirement community. His stories are always something that the residents look forward to hearing. During his most recent presentation,[2/7/17] Tim talked about his book, The Ranger and the Reporter in a program he calls Cross Paths. This was the perfect story to share for Valentine’s Day because it tells how Tim met his wife, Susan. Tim and Susan are gracious guests, and the stories Tim shares are entertaining and great for a wide range of audiences.

Amanda Smith, Life Enrichment Director, Dirigo Pines Retirement Community
Orono, Maine

Meredith Bay Colony Club

Feb. 23, 2017
I have had Tim Caverly at my facility [Meredith Bay Colony Club in Meredith N.H.] several times to present his original works and autobiographies. They are formatted to a big screen and Tim is extremely engaging and talented when it come to connecting with his audience. The presentations are well thought out and gives you a feeling of being in the moment. I have also interviewed Tim on my radio show called, Aging Well. My co-host is always excited when we are going to have him back on the show. There is a certain element of anticipation that leaves you wanting to hear more after seeing a presentation or hearing him talk about life as a park ranger. In closing, I would highly recommend one of Tim Caverly’s programs for any organization that facilitates history, community enrichment, or the arts.

Diane Ruggiero
Activities Director

Review by Quoddy Tides
Caverly takes readers to the North Woods by J.D. Rule Quoddy Tides Jan. 27, 2017
It is tough to describe a story told at 20 degrees below zero as “heart warming,” but many of Tim Caverly’s tales in his new book, The Ranger and the Reporter, are just
that. From the Extraction of an ice-bound heart attack victim—-with a happy ending—-the breaking up of a back-country fistfight, to the rescue of an antique steam locomotive, Caverly’s stories all are in the North Maine Woods and are told in the dry, matter-of-fact manner of one who was there.
Caverly, the author of the “Allagash Tails” series is a former Maine park ranger and supervisor with extensive experience in the Allagash region. He draws on personal recollections and legends to take the reader to places where only a few would care to venture but many are curious about.

Allagash Haunting at Phillips-Strickland House

I have very much enjoyed your slide presentation[s] and the story of the Allagash Haunting! Our residents really enjoyed and stayed eagerly attentive to the program. It was a lot of fun and we will have you back another time for another story. We have a collection of your books started in our library. Thank you so much for another great wilderness program.

Linda M. Nickerson
Certified Activity Director and Volunteer Coordinator
Phillips-Strickland House
21 Boyd Street
Bangor, Maine

Sawyer Foundation in Greene, Maine

Tim Caverly is a fantastic speaker. His presentations will capture the adventurer, the historian and the lover of the outdoors. Caverly brings a sense of humor that others in his line of work seem to overlook. If your searching for a show that will teach you a thing or two, keep you on the edge of your seat and give you some good laughs, Tim Caverly’s programs are for you!

Tyler Rose
Executive Director, Sawyer Foundation

Araxine Wilkins Sawyer Foundation

[I] bought your book [The Ranger and the Reporter] last night [10/21/16]. Finally managed to put it down around 1 A.M. Read it while eating breakfast and finished it around 10 A.M. Thoroughly fascinating! I have spent a lot of time in the Spencer, Chesuncook and Gulf Hagas areas. Now I cannot wait to go deeper into the north woods. Thanks for making it come to life so vividly for me.
Adrian Marden

Embden Historical Society

You were a hit! Everyone enjoyed the program [8/8/16]. Thank you VERY much.
Thanks again.

Carol Dolan
Embden Historical Society

Belfast Library

Tim Caverly gave a wonderful presentation, “The Allagash: A Wild Scenic River” at the Belfast Free Library last night [7/26/16]. It is a new slide talk created in celebration of the 50th anniversary of the Allagash Waterway. I highly recommend this program, Tim is a great presenter and the audience just loved it!
For more information visit his website at www.allagashtails.com
Have a great day!

Brenda Harrington

Adult Programming
Belfast Free Library
bharrington@belfastlibrary.org
(207)338-3884 ext.30

Review-‘Ranger and Reporter’ by George Smith

May 30, 2016
I’ve enjoyed Tim Caverly’s books over the years, both his books for adults and his books for kids. But I think his newest book, The Ranger and the Reporter, is my favorite.

Tim served as Superintendent of the Allagash Wilderness Waterway for 18 years, and that’s the setting for this book which features a new female reporter’s interviews with a retired AWW ranger. Mixing fact and fiction, The Ranger and the Reporter is fascinating, informative, and entertaining.

Beals Island Elementary School

Mr. Caverly’s visit to our school [Beals Island on April 13th, 2016] was awesome. He held the attention of our students who really had a blast. The radio classic play was wonderful as it made a great connection to what they had already read.

Chris Crowley, Principal
Union 103

Allagash Tails at Lubec Elementary School Jan.25, 2016

“Maine author Tim Caverly’s visit at Lubec Elementary School on Monday, January 25 was fantastic. Tim entertained his audience by great story telling and inserting historical facts along the way. He was very down-to-earth and approachable with our students, and he certainly kept the attention of our fourty middle schoolers during the hour presentation.” – Terri Murphy English/Language Arts – Lubec
“This week started off with a great presentation on the Allagash by Tim Caverly, his wife Sue, and their dog Sandy. Mr. Caverly was able grab our attention with witty tales of his past experiences on the river. He also discussed the steps involved in writing and publishing a book. Students and teachers were left with a new found curiosity about the area. They were also left with a book which was donated by our Local Lions club and signed by the Author”..Cathy Morse Science/Social Studies”

The Quoddy Tides Newspaper 2/12/2016

Caverly speaks to students about writing by reporter J.D. Rule
Article brief-Author Tim Caverly held a restless roomful of Lubec Students captivated for an hour on Jan. 25th. …the purpose of Caverly’s presentation was to lead students through his six-step writing process, but story telling is his forte, and the students were taking it all in…”and he had students spell bound.”

Enjoy your book Solace

9/18/2015
Good Morning Tim,
It was great reconnecting yesterday at the Farmers Market. I called Buzz and Jan and left a message in the afternoon. . Buzz returned my call last night. It was great to talk to him and I plan on connecting with them soon.
I started your book in the afternoon and finished it last night. A great story. I loved how you presented the beautiful Allagash trails along with a Love story .
My heart smiled at how you presented the real soul of George. That has been the most rewarding piece of my Holistic healing practice. Helping people find their true self and learning to treat themselves like they would treat their best friend.
Enjoy your life’s journey
Many Blessings,
Edna Doane

Note from a Friend

8/20/15
Dear Mr. Caverly,
I recently purchased the book Solace and enjoyed it so much I would like to send my brother a copy [who lives in North Carolina].
Thomas Bobalek

7/8/15

Hi Tim

I just finished Solace. It really made me realize how much I miss all those great places in the north woods. Solace has made me want to head for the Allagash, so I think it’s time to plan a trip into Allagash Lake. My friend Mickey asked me how often I would go to the waterway .I told him every day if I could.

You have a great feel for the soul of the north woods .Keep up the good work.

Best Regards

Terry Hanlon, Maine

Notes from the Searsport Middle/High School

6/30/15 *Solace*
*Written by Tim Caverly. Illustrated by Frank Manzo, Jr. (2015) Solace.
First printing. Aroostook Print Shop, Inc. 269 pages, ISBN: 978-1-4951-4233-8*
Tim Caverly takes us on another incredible journey in Maine’s North woods with his new book *Solace*. Wonderfully written and beautifully illustrated, readers will embark on another adventure in Maine’s Allagash region in the sixth book of the Allagash Tails collection.

Solace easily hooks the reader with Tim Caverly’s sense of adventure and a dash mystery. Instructed by a letter from a grandfather he never met, Jim embarks on a quest to recover an unknown family heirloom. Leaving his home and life behind, Jim heads North in search of the one man his grandfather said can fill in the gaps, and lead him to his family’s birthright. What transpires will give readers a taste of Maine’s Allagash region. Filled with photographs, illustrations, and stories from the region, it is hard to believe that Solace is a work of fiction.

Suitable for all ages, Solace was both easy and enjoyable to read. Written in a relaxed, folk tale style, Solace will bring the Maine wilderness to your armchair. As one who enjoys the outdoors but has never been to the Allagash, Solace has kindled a spark of interest to one day make my own journey to Maine’s Allagash region. I truly enjoyed this book and would highly recommend it to others.
Regards,
Brian Richards
Library Media Specialist
Searsport Middle/High School

Critique from George Smith

6/6/15
Tim Caverly offers an intriguing mix of fact and fiction in his new novel, Solace. And while the fictional tale is a good one, it’s the factual parts of the book that I found most fascinating. As Tim writes in the preface, “It is up to you, the reader, to use your detective skills to determine what parts of the following text is fiction or nonfiction, autobiography or a fabrication, historic narrative or creative writing. Let me know what you decide.” Yes, there is all of that in Solace.

It didn’t take a lot for me to detect some of the nonfiction and autobiography. Tim served for 18 years as the Regional Supervisor of the Allagash Region for the Bureau of Parks and Lands. And the novel is set in the Allagash Wilderness Waterway.

Two friends of mine popped up in the book too: Bob Duchesne, our top birding guide and the author of The Maine Birding Trail, and Lani Cochrane, who serves as marketing director of Maine Huts and Trails, a place where Linda and I visited in February for our newspaper travel column. Lani and her husband Chris own Allagash Canoe, featuring guided trips down the river. And there certainly is a lot of Tim in the book.

I’m not sure if Jim Clark, the main character, is Tim, but it could be. Jim goes to the Allagash, searching for a family heirloom. And he ends up working there. Hmmm. Sort of like Tim. What Tim, oops I mean Jim, finds and how he finds it are fascinating. But so too are some of the other characters – some of whom are very real to me. It is – I hope – just a coincidence that the bad poacher in the book is named George!

Tim has now written five books, some of them for kids, and I’ve read and enjoyed them all. He and his wife travel the state, talking about everything from the Allagash to the history of logging. You can access information about his books and talks at www.AllagashTails.com.

George Smith, Retired Director of Sportsman’s Alliance of Maine, author and columnist.

Comments from Skowhegan, Somerset Ed. Assoc. Retirees

4/17/15 Tim Caverly and Susan presented to our group last Friday]. It was a very special time for all of us.There was a lot of good information about the Allagash region sprinkled with wonderful humor. Susan and Tim are wonderful conversationalists and the members who talked with me said this was one of our best programs. For a program that allows people to relax, enjoy jokes and knowledge, Tim and Susan are the best.
Sincerely,
Lorraine Mahoney,President Somerset Educators Association Retirees

Reviews and Comments

Readers Comments

10/15/14
Mr. Caverly took us on a riveting multimedia adventure full of relevant scenic illustrations that kept a wide range of kids completely interested and engaged.
Grades 6-8 Charlotte School in Charlotte, Maine

May, 2014
Forest Hills Elementary School in Jackman, Maine was honored to have Maine author, Tim Caverly visit their school on Wed. May 14th (2014). Mr. Caverly did four presentations for grades K-8 during the day and spoke at our 8th Annual Night of Stars in honor of our outstanding readers, that evening. Mr. Caverly has written various books based on real-life experiences he has had on Maine’s Allagash Wilderness Waterway.