Historic Grand Manan.

Randall White is the author of Voice of Region: On the Long Journey to
Senate Reform in Canada, Too Good to Be True: Toronto in the 1920s, and
Global Spin: Probing the Globalization Debate.

You can usually find two types of local histories. One is the rather formal one written usually by an academic who based his research on archival documents or earlier publications. Local flavour and anecdotes are rare commodities. The other type has a local author whose enthusiasm is apparent, as is her familiarity with stories that would never be found by the academic. This recent history of the Bay of Fundy island of Grand Manan is a great example of the second type. Author Elaine Ingalls Hogg is a Grand Mananer born and bred, a fact revealed in the lively and informative captions below the splendid photos (45 of which she took, while her mother contributed another 20). Few others than a Grand Mananer would know that only five pupils “answered the last roll call” when the 78-year old Wood Island school closed for good in 1957, or could explain the reason why two Seal Cove Baptist churches exist just a few feet apart—something I have asked myself as I have driven by.

After a succinct summary of the island’s history, the author sets up nine chapters that cover its geology and geography, lighthouses and landmarks, businesses, fishing industry, and community life, and concludes with “Wood Island,” home of the Ingalls clan. The charming cover photo also appears in the transportation section along with the information telling us the names of the three occupants as they row to Wood Island from Seal Cove. Islanders everywhere are noted for their clannishness, but few if any Grand Mananers should have any qualms about embracing and promoting this highly readable and informative history of their beloved islands.