BRATTLEBORO — Hailed as “a fiercely intelligent love story,” a second edition of Newfane author Deborah Lee Luskin’s 2010 award-winning novel “Into the Wilderness” is being reissued by Sibylline Press. A celebration of the relaunch will take place on Friday, April 10, at ByWay Books & More starting at 5:30 p.m. Luskin will read and sign copies.
In 1964, Rose Mayer buries her second husband and wonders what she’s going to do with the rest of her life. Reluctantly, she visits her son’s summer place in Vermont, where there are neither sidewalks, Democrats, nor other Jews. She meets Percy Mendell at the Orton Fourth of July book sale, and it’s dislike at first sight.
Percy’s a born and bred Vermonter who has never married, never voted for a Democrat, and never left the state. After a satisfying career as the county’s agricultural agent, he’s facing retirement and doesn’t know what he’ll do unmoored from work. He meets Rose again at the Marlboro Music Festival, where music becomes their common language. Set against the backdrop of Vermont’s changing politics and seasons, “Into the Wilderness” is considered testament to the endurance of the human heart.
Luskin says the story resonates more than ever in today’s divisive times. “When I wrote the book, it was a love story. Now, the story of a Democrat and a Republican falling in love seems like fantasy fiction,” she said in a news release. “It’s also a story of how people from away and Vermonters perceive one another — still an issue.” 1964 was the first time in over a century that Vermont supported a non-Republican for president, the beginning of Vermont’s lean toward the left.
Like her character Rose Mayer, Luskin is “from away.” She started visiting Newfane in 1965. In 1984, she came for the summer — and never left. Like many Vermonters, Luskin has held a variety of jobs, from office manager to radio commentator. A believer in civic engagement, she has volunteered for both civic and social organizations.
Luskin is the author of “Reviving Artemis: The Making of a Huntress,” a memoir about finding her place in the natural world by following the deer into the untracked woods. Her blog, Living in Place, posts regularly on Substack.
ByWay Books is located at 399 Canal St.
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‘ Some details of this article were extracted from the following source www.reformer.com ’
