from Mount Desert Island. Amy also created the twenty-eight beautiful individual ink/pen sketches for the book. Click on
Amy's name is above. To see her Google home page, there are links to her Twitter and Instagram pages.
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride
We are on track for
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride to be printed and available for purchase during the fall of 2019...
Theodore Roosevelt is leaning out of the train doorway of the
addresses the gathered townsfolk at the Gray, Maine, Portland-Lewiston Interurban station, on August
18, 1914. Roosevelt had experienced something special
as he and the Narcissus were approaching the Gray station
Millie Thayer is a headstrong farmer's daughter who chases her dreams in a way you would expect a little girl nicknamed "Spitfire" would run full tilt and with her eyes on the stars. Dreaming of leaving the farm life, working in the city, and fighting for women's right to vote, Millie imagines flying away on a magic carpet. One day, that flying carpet shows up in the form of an electric trolley that cuts across her farm. A fortune-teller predicts that Millie's path will cross that of someone famous. Suddenly, she finds herself caught up in events that shake the nation, Maine, and her family. Despairing that her dreams may be shattered, Millie learns, in an unexpected way, that dreams can be shared.
One year ago, I was very happy to release a blog post announcing that award-winning Maine author
Jean M. Flahive had
agreed to write a young reader's historical fiction chapter book that would benefit the
Narcissus Project. I am now very happy to report that the book,
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride, will be released this fall! Below are some blurbs/reviews from a few individuals who read the manuscript after being professionally edited by
Maine Authors Publishing in Thomaston, Maine. For an autographed copy of Jean's book in time for distribution as a holiday gift, advance mail orders of the new book received by the
Museum Store of
Seashore Trolley Museum, before November 15, 2019, will receive an autographed copy of the new book, signed by Jean M. Flahive. So, stay tuned for details on the release date, etc., in the coming weeks.
Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride
by Jean M. Flahive
Cover Art and Sketches by Amy J. Gagnon
$14.95 paperback (US)
ISBN: 978-0-578-54473-1
Library of Congress Card Control: 2019909872
“Like she's done in her previous books, Jean Flahive expertly rolls back the years, bringing us back to the arrival of interurban rail in small-town Maine. These "electric traveling machines" change young Millie's life forever, opening up new worlds of possibility. She visits the city, rides with suffragettes, and even meets Theodore Roosevelt. An eye-opening and entertaining ride - you won't want the train to stop! Highly recommended.”
"Along with being a beautiful story, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride contain many of the core elements that Roosevelt himself held dear. Understanding history, and appreciating nature. Telling a good story. Loving children. At the same time profoundly personal and expansively historical, this book is ultimately about finding new life in things with deep underlying value."
Michael R. Canfield has published two books on observation and note-taking. Author of
Theodore Roosevelt in the Field, and editor of
Field Notes on Science and Nature
"An absolutely deeelightful story bringing to life a young farm girl growing up in Theodore Roosevelt's time, meeting him and his mentor Bill Sewall, and experiencing World War I's effect on urban Maine and the devastation of the 1918 Spanish Flu pandemic. The portrayal of hard work, honesty, and community self-support is a model for all to follow. Having recently visited the "Narcissus" restoration, the colorful romanticizing of Maine's interurban trolley really resonated with me."
"As the great-granddaughter and current holder of the legacy of the Sewall House, the history of TR's friendship with William Sewall held within its walls, the chapters that include the story of their friendship are beautifully woven into the touching story of the girl with the flowers, reflecting their friendship and my great-grandfather's temperament as well."
Donna Davidge, great-granddaughter of William W. Sewall -
Sewall House, Island Falls, Maine
"Flahive paints a vibrant picture of rural life in the early 1900s. The tremendous life shifts that occurred through the arrival of the trolley, the challenges of learning current news, the Great War and its impact on families and lives at home, women's suffrage, and difficult life choices are woven into a moving, believable, and engrossing tale that puts the reader squarely in the lives of its characters."
"I liked this book. For me, it was one of those books that stays with you, nudging thoughts of historical values contained within the storyline that takes place in the early 1900s, along with deftly woven, articulate text that pertains to scientific concepts such as electricity, interurban trolleys, political turbulence, women's suffrage, and WWI. Author Jean Flahive is masterful at pulling the reader into her story during this notable time. Her realism wraps itself around the life of a young, spontaneous Maine farm girl who dreams big! The believable tale kept me reading well into the night and then sharing much of the historical and scientific frameworks with my husband, a 6th-grade science teacher. Our lively discussions prompted him to place this book on his classroom reading list."
Lyn Smith, Reading Specialist, Pre-K-2, Kennebunk Elementary School, Kennebunk, Maine
"Jean M. Flahive skillfully describes the arrival of the interurban trolleys in Maine and how they changed both the landscape and lives of Mainers forever. Her captivating characters meet at the crossroads of progress and politics, taking the reader on a journey of anticipation, wonder, and the reality of a changing world."
"This novel is truly rich in history...the dialogue flows and seems natural to that time."
"Flahive's book explores a lesser-known episode from the later life of Theodore Roosevelt; she imbues the story, told from her perspective of a young girl growing up at the turn of the century, with humor and heart."
Heather G. Cole, Curator, Literary & Popular Culture Collections at
John Hay Library, Brown University
"Jean M. Flahive brings to life early twentieth-century rural Maine through the eyes of young spitfire Millie Thayer. With the arrival of the Narcissus electric trolley and a mysterious prediction by a fortune-teller, Millie's small-town world is suddenly filled with exciting possibilities, from encounters with former President Theodore Roosevelt to chance meetings with suffragettes. Flahive weaves in historical context about not just local Maine history, but also topics like women's suffrage, changing party politics, World War I, and the Spanish Flu. Theodore Roosevelt lovers, train enthusiasts, students, and educators alike will enjoy this well-researched and entertaining book."
Click Here to go to the Museum Store web page to order online
Paperback books are available at these local bookstores:
Cumberland Historical Society, Cumberland
Click Here: For the list of links to
Theodore Roosevelt Maine Heritage Trail Posts in Easy Order to View
We continue the
restoration work on the 1912
Narcissus, the only surviving high-speed, luxury interurban coach of the Portland-Lewiston Interurban.
More than a century old, the stately "Elegant Ride,"
Narcissus, is a gem. This shimmering precious stone of Maine transportation history is brilliantly resplendent as it emanates so many elements of history, including
time, places, people, and events, that it was coupled to, that when just a smattering of its seemingly innumerable stories are shared, the contents first captivate, fascinate, then generate interest to learn more 🙋. The majestic
Narcissus is listed in the
National Register of Historic Places.
Please consider joining the epic journey to complete the Narcissus Project by donating today!
The restoration of this majestic icon of Maine's electric railway history is but one in a series of captivating stories containing an abundance of incredible coalition narratives.
Click Here: History-Related Posts - Narcissus and Portland-Lewiston Interurban
The Narcissus is featured in the national Gold Award-winning novel, Teddy Roosevelt, Millie, and the Elegant Ride. The "Elegant Ride" is the Narcissus. Theodore Roosevelt was a passenger on the Narcissus on August 18, 1914, between Lewiston and Portland, Maine, while campaigning for the Progressive Party candidates.
Click Here: Bookstores and Businesses promoting the
Narcissus Project
Independent book publisher, Phil Morse, holding
Gold Book Award Winner plaque for
Middle Reader category for The Eric
Hoffer Book Award. Congratulations to
award-winning Maine author,
Jean M. Flahive
