“I am reading ‘The Emerald Mile,’ by Kevin Fedarko. It’s about the history of expeditions that attempted to navigate the wild Colorado River that flows through the Grand Canyon. It wraps in the story of dams – like the Hoover Dam, which I visited with my family in 1967 – that were built to tame the Colorado and feed electricity to the West. But it also shows that nature often wins out over humans. In 1983, a series of natural events, including the largest El Nino event on record and a massive snowmelt, sent dam operators scrambling to prevent dam failures by releasing waters in smaller torrents. In response, a small group of audacious boaters surreptitiously launched for what would become the fastest ride down the Colorado in history.

“Also on my bed stand is a newly released and beautiful book called ‘From the Mountains to the Sea: The Historic Restoration of the Penobscot River,’ by Peter Taylor, perfect for anyone who loves Maine and loves rivers – like I do! Peter conducted more than 40 interviews with partners who were directly involved in the restoration effort. The book tells the story from all of our perspectives on how we re-opened 2,000 miles of spawning habitat for native sea-run fish on the Penobscot – a 20-year effort that spans my service to the Natural Resources Council of Maine. The story is ongoing, of course, but the book does a wonderful job of describing how this restored section of river is already rebounding.”—LISA POHLMANN, CEO, Natural Resources Council of Maine

What are you reading?

Mainers, please email to tell us about the book on your bedside table right now. In a few sentences, describe the book and be sure to tell us what drew you to it as the pandemic – and its ripple effects – continues. Was it a need to escape, a need to dig deeper? Something else? Send your pick to pgrodinsky@pressherald.com, and we may use it as a future Bedside Table.

Cover courtesy of Scribner

Cover courtesy of Islandport