cover image Sou'west and by West of Cape Cod: The Classic Evocation of New England Shore, Sea, and Islands--From Point Judith to the Head of Buzzards Bay

Sou'west and by West of Cape Cod: The Classic Evocation of New England Shore, Sea, and Islands--From Point Judith to the Head of Buzzards Bay

Llewellyn Howland. Yankee Books, $12.95 (191pp) ISBN 978-0-89909-142-6

First published in 1947 and long out of print, this is a wonderfully evocative portrait of the New England shore at the turn of the century. But it is highly selective, for there is no mention of textile factories or expanding citiesonly a rural landscape and quiet harbors with sailboats for both commerce and pleasure. Howland grew up on a saltwater farm on Buzzard's Bay near New Bedford, Mass. Except for an elderly aunt and Deborah the cook, his characters are male; they are ""Skipper,'' a grandfather figure, and his associates, old ship-captains and boatyard owners. Howland recalls working at Charlie Beetle's yard where they built and delivered a whaleboat in 48 hours. There were trips aboard a 50-foot sloop, Panther, to fish for blues and a crackerjack match race around Block Island and back. Aunt Lee introduces an ancestor whose cargo was commandeered at Trafalgar, and Howard eventually gets his own boat, the ketch-rigged Fox. His final story reveals a traditional New England Christmas dinner. All very salty, and a fine piece of regional literature. Illustrated. (August)