In the idyllic summer of 1896 in Portland, Maine, several people are embarking on adventures of a most audacious and entertaining nature. The lovely Cordelia Underwood unexpectedly inherits a large parcel of land, and discovers that it holds an irresistible secret; it is her newfound friend, Tobias Walton--a man of a certain age and Pickwickian characteristics--who will eventually help her to unravel the mystery. In parallel journeys up the coast of Maine, Cordelia collects a handsome suitor and several opinionated relatives, and Mister Walton is soon accompanied by an entourage of hapless friends--the honorable members of the Moosepath League. Together this motley group encounters a colorful variety of true Maine eccentrics--from old salts to bootleggers, grande dames to prospective beaus--and find themselves embroiled in some good old-fashioned wonderment and laughter that includes a boxing match between two aging politicians, an escaped circus bear named Maude, a dastardly kidnapping, and the parachutist Mrs. Roberto in her attractive suit of tights! Superbly written, with a vivid sense of place and period, this is a book for any day that begs a few hours of pure delight. A "--This extraordinary document puts the national landmark in the context of nothing less than the intellectual history of Western civilization -- in 200 pages." --New York NewsdayNew York Times Book Review "--This extraordinary document puts the national landmark in the context of nothing less than the intellectual history of Western civilization -- in 200 pages." --New York Newsday Editor's Choice A colorful, comic, and touching novel of old Maine that "seems designed for long afternoons in the hammock" ( "--This extraordinary document puts the national landmark in the context of nothing less than the intellectual history of Western civilization -- in 200 pages." --New York NewsdayThe New York Times Book Review "--This extraordinary document puts the national landmark in the context of nothing less than the intellectual history of Western civilization -- in 200 pages." --New York Newsday) Penguin Readers Guide Bound into Every Book (includes questions on Mollie Peer)