Jim Nichols (1)

Wow. This book is a stunner. A punch to the chest that leaves you breathless.
BLUE SUMMER is written by Maine author, Jim Nichols, and published by Island Port Press of Yarmouth, Maine. This title is one of the selections of MPR’s (Maine Public Radio) ’All Books Considered’ program, which helped to keep me sane during the pandemic, early 2021.
The book begins in the Bolduc Correctional Facility (inside Maine State Prison) in 1997. Calvin Shaw is ‘inside’ and writing down his life story.
His story may be familiar to many of us - the dark and shadowy goings-on in many dark, shadowy and toxic areas - rural & urban, small town, large town & big city, ‘good’ & nasty families (some hide the poison better than others). Maine is no exception.
The dates and places range from 1997 to 1995 to Cal’s 1960’s childhood years. From Maine to Tampa, Florida and back again to Maine.
Loss is the main subject heading here - loss of family; loss of loved ones; loss of childhood; loss of a sense of identity.
The writing is wonderful - realistic; to the point; honest; interspersed with musical melodies and riffs.
Certainly, a book ‘to be considered’. Thank you Maine Public Radio for alerting me to this title. *****… (mehr)

Here's a Maine novel that catches the strong hold that the coast has on those born there and their equally strong desire to move to a place where it's easier to make a living. Troy Hull, lobsterman in Pequot, lives his father's life in the home he grew up in, now coveted by rich flatlanders. He (and the bank) owns one of only two remaining working boats in Pequot Harbor. His house is on a great piece of land, but his mortgages are killing him, and the spring lobster catch is poor.

Troy is part of a group of kids who grew up and stayed on, but they all struggle and each sells out - they run off with real estate agents (his ex-wife), help bankers pull homes out from under other Pequot families, suck up to a reality show host filing in Pequot, smuggle whatever they can to stay afloat.

Troy agrees to a run to Nova Scotia with his friend Polky to buy wire to sell cheaply to local fisherman, but balks at Polky's next, more dangerous scheme, until he is crushed by his debts.

The novel portrays the mid-coast that tourists don't see, even though its traditions are what brings them to Maine in the first place. Troy is a fine character, and the plot moves along well despite the churning life on the water and the even more difficult life on land.… (mehr)

In Hull Creek, a new novel just published here by Down East Books, Jim Nichols's protagonist, Troy Hull, is a sixth generation lobsterman, who lives alone (his wife has already divorced him) in his family's home, which he too has mortgaged to pay for upkeep and repairs to his wooden boat. In fact, he is the only working waterman left in the town. All the other waterfront properties have been bought up by 'swanks from away' who have razed centuries old houses to replace them with monstrous McMansions, and whose fiberglass sailboats do little else but tip over in storms.

Troy, who dropped out of college when his father died, wants desperately to honor the family's traditions, but lack of money, poor lobster crops, and a series of less than brilliant choices leave him few options. His so-called friends also offer many opportunities for short-cuts that could have him quickly in need of a "get out of jail free" card.

Nichols presents his characters in real situations, often faced with choices that are not choices at all but are only a series of "damned if you do, damned if you don't" scenarios. We find ourselves often thinking "What would I do if I had to make this choice or that one? Would I choose to take the risks, to expose myself to jail time, to put myself in harms' way, or put others in danger?" We may not always agree with their actions, but the author give us excellent portrayal of the decision making processes of these men.

Troy Hull's educational level gives him a better grasp of options,and he is more able to at least understand his frustrations, even as he resents the moneyed do-nothings who are threatening his way of life. Nichols gives us some delightfully amusing town characters who provide some comic relief to the tragedy, and a young woman Nicki, a childhood friend, who wants to help Troy overcome his shyness and reluctance to become involved with another woman after his divorce.

An excellent book that gives a very realistic portrayal of the hard life of those who choose to make a living from the sea. Highly recommended.… (mehr)