Books from the Shaker Press and more

  • A Basketmaker's Odyssey: Over, Under, Around & Through. 24 Fantastic Basket Patterns from Beginning to Advanced! by Lyn Siler and Carolyn Kemp Reprint of a classic book, now softcover SPIRAL bound for easier reading and following patterns while weaving- leaving your book open completely flat so your hands can focus on basket weaving. Basketry’s unique blend of form and function has fired the imaginations of artisans and crafters for generations. Whether you’re making your first or forty-first basket, this book will push the boundaries of your established skills while teaching you new ones to last a lifetime, guiding you through the construction of beautiful handmade baskets that will be used and admired for generations to come. Lyn Syler (Lyn Siler), author of numerous basketmaking books and renowned basketry instructor, has generously compiled over 24 patterns—some of her own design, some conceived by friends and peers—for a variety of beautiful baskets you can learn to make on your own. An ideal book for basketmakers in search of new challenges and creative techniques, A Basketmaker’s Odyssey is sure to delight. With detailed drawings and photographs by Carolyn Kemp, the patterns are easy to follow and detailed in every respect. This book truly lives up to Lyn and Carolyn’s reputation for writing exceptionally clear patterns that set the standard for all to follow. A technique section begins the book giving you the information you need to begin the wide variety of basket patterns from various authors.  Styles of baskets include beginner to advance flat reed, round reed, pine needle coiling with walnut slice accents, various types of twills, ribbed construction, alternative materials like heavy-weight paper and cut up jeans, diagonal plaiting, double-walled construction and a traditional round basket woven on a slotted base. A gallery of work is included for inspiration and awe. 112 pages, The Country Seat & Echo Point Books & Media.
  • By local author Ann Hobart This is a beautiful book written and illustrated by our friend, Ann Hobart. Morganfield Mouse makes friends with Grace, the Monarch caterpillar, watches her grow, change to a chrysalis, and then emerge as a Monarch butterfly. Gannett Books, 1985. 48 pages, illustrated. Signed by author.
  • The A to Z of the Shakers by Stephen J. Paterwic The United Society of Believers in Christ's Second Appearing, commonly known as the Shakers, followed Mother Ann Lee to the United States in 1774 when life in England became difficult. In the United States, they established several colonies whose governing principals included celibacy and agrarian communal living. Even at its peak, however, Shakerism claimed only about 4,500 members. Today, except for one active community in Sabbathday, Maine (that's us!), the great Shaker villages are diminished, but the Shakers left an enduring impact on the religion and culture of the United States. The A to Z of the Shakers relates the history of this fascinating group through a chronology, an introductory essay, a bibliography, and over 200 cross-referenced dictionary entries on Shaker communities, industries, individual families, and important people. Every definition, biography, and point of history was submitted to the Shakers at Sabbathday Lake for their review before it was included for publication. As such, the voice of the contemporary Shakers is found in the dictionary, and they have given it their unequivocal endorsement. Paperback, 370 pages. Scarecrow Press
  • An Honorable Harvest: Shakers and the Natural World by Dr. Carl Benton Straub A 166 page soft covered book on the story of how religious movements initiated in Europe became American through taking seriously the land. In the Shaker ways of looking at the world, there is a basic religious unity between what is going on in history - "in the course of human events" - and what is at work in nature. The essential Shaker response to the land and the varied communities of life entwined with the land - wild and domestic - is the translation through interpretation and labor of nature's variables into patterns of meaning which reflect Shaker interest in religious community. Shaker Press, 2009. Soft covered, 166 pages.
  • <b><strong>90 beautifully illustrated common and rare apples from the orchards of North America.</strong></b> by Roger Yepsen Roger Yepsen knows his apples. He should, as he is a seasoned orchardist as well as a talented writer and illustrator. Here he presents fascinating facts about 90 mainstay and unusual varieties of apples grown in the United States, from Red Delicious and Granny Smith to Knobbed Russet and Hubbardston Nonesuch. Each entry identifies the variety's harvest season, unique taste,and best uses, and Yepsen's beautiful and distinctive watercolors make identification a snap. This new edition has been updated with entries on Honeycrisp and other varieties that have becomes popular since the first publication of Apples in 1994. But this is not just a grower's catalog. Yepsen also includes a brief history of apples in North America, and recipes for pies, sauces, ciders, and more. Countryman Press, 288 pages, hardcover ISBN: 978-1682680193
  • A User's Guide by Russell S. Powell This fascinating and helpful guide will offer practical advice about rare heirlooms and newly discovered varieties, chapters on the rich tradition of apple growing in New England and on the fathers of American apples Massachusetts natives John Chapman (Johnny Appleseed) and Henry David Thoreau. Apples of New England will present the apple in all its splendor: as biological wonder, super food, work of art, and cultural icon. Apples of New England will be an indispensable resource for anyone identifying apples in New England orchards, farm stands, grocery stores or their own backyard. Photographs of the more than 200 apples discovered, grown, or sold in New England will be accompanied by notes about flavor and texture, history, ripening time, storage quality, and best use. Countryman Press, 214 pages ISBN: 978-1581572230
  • HARVEST AND MAKE YOUR OWN HERBAL REMEDIES

    by Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal

      Backyard Medicine is a beautiful book, packed with nearly 300 color photographs and over 120 herbal remedies that you can make yourself. It gives a fascinating insight into the literary, historic, and world-wide application of the fifty common plants that it covers. It is the sort of book you can enjoy as an armchair reader or use to harvest and make your own herbal remedies from wild plants. Anyone who wants to improve his or her health in the same way that human-kind has done for centuries around the world, by using local wild plants and herbs, will find this book fascinating and useful.   Skyhorse Publishing, 224 pages ISBN: 9781602397019
  • A Guide to Home-Grown Herbal Remedies

    Julie Bruton-Seal and Matthew Seal

    A full-color handbook by the authors of the hugely success Backyard Medicine (over 80,000 sold), this new title focuses largely on fifty medicinal plants that grow by roads or paths in the countryside or in the city—from Alexanders and Ash to Goldenrod and Hogweed to Walnut and Wild Strawberry. These nearby but often overlooked ecosystems are significant wild plant communities! This new book is packed with practical information on how to use fifty forgotten plants to cure all sorts of common ailments. There is a wealth of plants growing abundantly all over roadsides, cities, and in your own backyard; this coincides perfectly with alternative medicine and natural healing reaching into every facet of our lives. These plants have numerous medicinal uses that people have largely forgotten. Once valued and widely used, they’ve fallen out of fashion over time as they were bypassed by commercial medicine.
    • Alexanders, Ash, Avens
    • Bistort, Black horehound, Blackthorn, Bugle, Butcher’s broom
    • Chicory, Cranesbill, Creeping jenny & yellow loosestrife
    • Daisy, Fleabane, Forget-me-not, Fumitory
    • Goldenrod, Greater celandine, Ground elder, Ground ivy, Gypsywort
    • Heather & bell heather, Herb robert. Hogweed
    • Lesser celandine, Mouse-ear hawkweed, Navelwort
    • Ox-eye daisy, Pine, Primrose & cowslip, Purple loosestrife
    • Rowan, Sanicle, Scabious, Sea buckthorn
    • Silverweed, tormentil & cinquefoil, Sowthistle,
    • Speedwell, Sphagnum moss, Sweet chestnut
    • Thistle, Valerian, Violet
    • Walnut, Wild carrot, Wild strawberry, Woundwort
    Each chapter has an introductory section that puts the plant(s) into historical and botanical context, and its forgotten or traditional medicinal uses, as well as featuring current medicinal applications. Make your own herbal medicines to cure complaints from hayfever to headaches to insomnia. Clear, easy instructions and stunning photographs will guide you to leave the armchair and go out to utilize backyard medicine yourself!   Skyhorse Publishing, 224 pages ISBN: 9781510725942
  • 50 Fun Recipes Kids Will Love to Bake! by Deanna F. Cook Following the best-selling book Cooking Class, this delightful baking cookbook for children ages 8–12 features 50 easy-to-follow, kid-friendly recipes. Lively step-by-step photos teach bakers-in-training how to knead dough, make biscuits, decorate cookies, and produce a perfect pie, along with essential skills like following directions and accurately measuring ingredients. Kids will learn to make both sweet and savory treats and will use fresh fruits and vegetables in recipes such as Bursting with Blueberries Muffins, Zombie Zucchini Bread, and Peachy Keen Crumble. Bonus goodie bag stickers, pop-out gift tags, and bake sale signs encourage kids to share their homemade delights with pride. 2017 NPR's Best Books of the Year 2017 IACP Cookbook Award Winner 2017 National Parenting Product Awards Winner 2018 ​Mom's Choice Award Gold Winner 2019 New York Times "Best Cookbooks for Kids"   Storey Publishing, 144 pages, spiral bound. ISBN 9781612128559
  • Barns of Maine by Don Perkins - local author -Signed! Although humble in their function, these carefully crafted barns have shaped the landscape of Maine for centuries. Built long before the days of plastic and plywood, the barns have survived for generations, each with a story to tell. In Bridgton, one barn offered comfort to a 16 year-old boy when his father was injured; another New Gloucester barn was so important to one family that its likeness was engraved on their headstones. Some owners said they would rather see their homes burn than their barns, and others have dedicated their lives and countless funds to restoring and preserving these buildings. From modest English to grand Victorian, Don Perkins examines the structures, origins, and evolution of Maine's barns, demonstrating the vital and precious role they play in people's lives. Features a section on the Shakers' Barn! Signed by the author Paperback, 128 pp  The History Press; Illustrated edition 978-1609495268
  • More Than 75 Satisfying Small-Batch Canning and Fermentation Recipes for the Whole Year

    by Stephanie Thurow Recipes in this helpful, full color book include strawberry chutney, the perfect garlic dill pickle, spring onion kimchi, cinnamon-honey apple butter, and more! Welcome to the world of produce preservation. In Can It & Ferment It, blogger and Certified Master Food Preserver Stephanie Thurow brings the canning and fermenting communities together by offering recipes that work for both canning and fermenting. From a first-timer to the advanced preservationist, Can It & Ferment It shows canners and fermenters alike how they can have the best of both worlds. Recipes include:
    • Strawberry Rhubarb Jam
    • Sugar Snap Pea Pickles
    • Dandelion Jelly
    • Pickled Fennel
    • Fiddlehead Fern Pickles
    • Spicy Spring Onion Relish
    • Napa Cabbage Kimchi
    • And much much more
    Stephanie explains the differences between the canning and fermentation processes, emphasizes the importance of using local and organic produce, describes canning and fermenting terminology and the supplies needed for both methods, and offers more than seventy-five fun and easy recipes for every season. Readers will learn how to preserve each fruit or vegetable in two different ways; each can be enjoyed water bath–canned or as a healthy, probiotic-rich ferment. Skyhorse Publishing, 183 pages ISBN: 9781510717428
  • Color the Natural World: A Timber Press Coloring Book By Zoe Keller A coloring book for all ages! In the whimsical pages of Color the Natural World you can wander from temperate forests and oceans to deserts and prairies. You’ll meet a host of intricately-drawn animals and birds, like the northern pygmy-owl of the Pacific Northwest forest, a fox from the Great Plains, and the California gull. And you’ll encounter a fun mix of bugs, fish, and plants, like the sea urchins found in the Pacific coast, the cacti of the deserts in the Southwest, and a family of Monarch butterflies. Along the way you’ll discover the mindfulness and joy that comes through creativity. Grab your markers, crayons, & colored pencils and get ready to take a journey through the natural world! Paperback, 96 pages, 50 illustrations, black and white photos. 9" x 9". Timber Press
  • How to Turn Apples into Alcohol by Jeff Smith Hard cider is far more than sweet apple juice with a kick. It is the fasted growing alcoholic beverage on the market today. After standing in the shadow of craft beer, hard cider is enjoying a much overdue renaissance.  Craft Cider will uncover this unique beverage's history, the current state of cider in the marketplace, and recommend commercial ciders that represent the best in each style. Whether you are a beginner or a seasoned brewer, Craft Cider will be the go-to book for all skill levels to learn new brewing techniques, explore recipes, and learn about the expansive history of this age-old drink. Countryman Press, 148 pages, paperback ISBN: 978-1581573138
  • A Modern and Fragrant Take on Classic Recipes

    by Judy C. Polinsky

    Imagine a table laden with sweet dishes—cakes, puddings, creams, custards, jellies, candied fruits, marzipan, ice creams—molded into exotic forms, all flavored with roses and served as the final course of an elegant meal! In the Georgian era (1714–1830) rose-flavored treats were a mainstay in the homes of the well-to-do, who would create an entire table of sweets as a show of wealth and power. In Delicious Rose-Flavored Desserts, culinary historian Judy Polinsky explores the use of roses and rose water in Georgian cooking and baking. With a foreword by Clair Martin, Curator Emeritus of the Rose Garden at the Huntington Library and Gardens, this book is packed with information about the history of roses as a food flavoring and the benefits of consuming rose water, instructions on how to select roses by scent and rose family, and directions for how to prepare rosewater from your own roses, in addition to more than fifty recipes (or as the Georgians wrote, “receipts”). Unique in its structure, the book will feature the original eighteenth-century recipe along with the modern version. Polinsky tested each recipe first by hand and then retested using modern appliances, such as mixers and food processors. The reward is in the subtle blending and mixing of unexpected flavors to create wonderfully tasty treats. Whether your interest is in cooking, rose gardening, or history, using roses from your garden to re-create unusual recipes is an adventure and great fun!   Skyhorse Publishing, 192 pages ISBN: 9781510703315
  • Over 50 Delicious Recipes to Feed Your Body and Nourish Your Soul

    by Rena Rossner

    One weekend, a decade ago, author Rena Rossner was served a bowl of lentil soup at dinner. The portion of the Bible that had been discussed that week was the chapter in which Esau sells his birthright to his brother Jacob for a bowl of red lentil soup. Rossner was struck by the ability to bring the Bible alive in such a tactile way and decided on the spot to see whether she could incorporate the Bible into a meal each week. And so she has. The result, Eating the Bible, is an innovative cookbook with original, easy-to-prepare recipes that will ignite table conversation while pleasing the stomach. Every meal will become both a tactile and intellectual experience as the recipes enrich both the soul of the cook and the palates of those at the table. Every cook must glance at a recipe countless times before completing a dish. Often recipes involve five- to ten-minute periods during which one must wait for the water to boil, the soup to simmer, or the onions to sauté. It is Rossner’s goal to help enrich those moments with biblical verse and commentary, to enable cooks to feed their souls as they work to feed the members of the household and guests. From the zesty “Garden of Eden Salad” to the “Honey Coriander Manna Bread,” each recipe will delight the palate and spark the mind.   Skyhorse Publishing, 288 pages ISBN: 9781626362093
  • Safe to Pick, Good to Eat by Barbro Forsberg and Stefan Lindberg   Wandering the woods in search of mushrooms is one of life’s great pleasures. But be careful to pick the right ones! With Edible Mushrooms in your backpack, you’ll know to pick only the safest, most delicious chanterelles, truffles, morels, and more. Author Barbro Forsberg presents forty edible species and reveals how, when, and where to find them—knowledge gained over the course of four decades spent mushrooming in the woods. Discover such aspects of mushrooming as: Characteristics of edible mushrooms, per species Cooking, cleaning, and drying the day’s bounty Edible, inedible, or toxic? Photographs and descriptions for what to pick and what to avoid Poisonous varieties and how to recognize them All content has been verified by a professional mycologist. Plus, nature and educational photographs illustrate how mushrooms grow, the environments where you can expect to find them, and the ways in which the same species may vary from one sample to the next. So whether you’re an experienced mushroom hunter or a novice to the art, with Edible Mushrooms you can confidently recognize, pick, and eat the tastiest wild mushrooms.   Skyhorse Publishing, 224 Pages ISBN: 9781628736441
  • Farm Anatomy: The Curious Parts & Pieces of Country Life by Julia Rothman Learn the difference between a farrow and a barrow, and what distinguishes a weanling from a yearling. Country and city mice alike will delight in Julia Rothman’s charming illustrated guide to the curious parts and pieces of rural living. Dissecting everything from the shapes of squash varieties to how a barn is constructed and what makes up a beehive to crop rotation patterns, Rothman gives a richly entertaining tour of the quirky details of country life. Paperback, 224 pages full color. Storey Publishing
  • 80 SEASONAL, ORGANIC RECIPES MADE FROM YOUR LOCAL FARMERS' MARKET

    by Lei Shishak

    When we shop at farmers’ markets, we support our local economy and consume food that’s healthier, tastier, and packed with essential nutrients specific to our local environment. In Farm-to-Table Desserts, chef Lei demonstrates how baking with locally sourced, organic ingredients is so satisfying that it will quickly become an easy and delicious habit. With more than eighty sweet recipes divided by season, Farm-to-Table Desserts shows readers how to create simple desserts using fresh and local ingredients at their prime. With Lei’s instruction, home cooks will see how easy it is to bake fresh year-round. Recipes include some of Lei’s favorites: • Stone peach cobbler • Fig jam • Sweet corn panna cotta • Strawberry hand pie • Sweet potato cake • Blood orange pot de crème   Skyhorse Publishing, 200pages ISBN: 9781510716926
  • by Leslie Jonath   Food brings a community together. With recipes for generous family-style, big-batch cooking by chefs, cooks, and big-hearted people, Feed Your People will inspire people to feed their people both literally and spiritually. From a Soup Swap Dinner by Kathy Gunst to a big pot of vegan greens and grits from Bryant Terry (AfroVegan); a gnocchi-making party with Angelo Garo to a summertime aioli feast by Georgeanne and Ethel Brennan; to a pig roast by Ryann Farr and Rodney Scott, and a lemon blueberry trifle for 20 by Emily Lucchetti, this book features festive foods to gather around. Most importantly, each recipe includes specific and helpful strategies, including make-ahead plans, freezing, equipment, and scaling and serving instructions as well as how to “make it to take it” (i.e., make a second batch of soup, cookies, Bolognese, etc. for takeaway)! Cooking for crowds isn’t a new concept and cooking brilliantly for those crowds, with honest ingredients that feed the soul is a valuable skill. Illustrated with gorgeous how-to and event photography, this book is a practical, beautiful celebration of the art of cooking for all and empower readers everywhere to cook together and feed each other both literally and spiritually.   Powerhouse Books, 320 pages ISBN:978-1576878040
  • Authentic Recipes from Every Region

    by Francoise Branget   French cuisine is revered all around the world, and now French Country Cooking offers the unique opportunity to enter a France that very few tourists ever get to experience. In this richly illustrated cookbook, each gourmand member of the French National Assembly—representing the diverse regions of their native country—shares culinary secrets that will inspire you to try your hand at preparing mouthwatering soups, sides, dinners, and desserts. From a challenging recipe for slow-cooked hare that predates the French Revolution to a simple yet delightful bread, the 180 recipes collected here will satisfy anyone who is curious about the varied dishes of this epicurean country. Some recipes you will find here include: Foie gras in a Madeira sauce Somme scallops in wine and cream Puff pastry with blue cheese and pear Sheep cheese and potato pastries This unique book, a comprehensive cultural and gastronomic inside look into the private kitchens of homes and farms, is peppered with ancestral recipes passed down through generations. It will enchant the armchair traveler and might even rouse you to visit the lesser-known regions of France—a country rich in many different cuisines.   Skyhorse Publishing, 296 pages ISBN 9781628725902
  • Tarts, Mini Pies, Cake Pops, and More

    by Abigail Gehring, Timothy W. Lawrence

    The only thing better than traditional dessert is an adorably small dessert you can pick up with your fingers and devour in a few sumptuous bites. Cake pops, mini pies, and tiny tarts are everyone’s favorite new treats, and it’s no wonder—they’re cute, they’re fun, and they’re small enough that you can sample one of each at a party! For the growing population with gluten allergies or sensitivity, dessert is tricky territory. Gehring, who has been gluten-free for three years, has experienced many of the pitfalls of gluten-free cooking and baking so you don’t have to! She and her husband, Lawrence, have developed more than sixty recipes you’ll have fun making and feel great eating. • Ginger peach tartlets • Chocolate peanut butter cake pops • Meringue nests with citrus cream • Candied orange peel • Macarons • Mini red velvet cupcakes • Chocolate chip cheesecakes • Blackberry pies with honey lavender cream • Coconut sorbet shots • Maple walnut truffles   Skyhorse Publishing, 144 pages ISBN: 9781626360242
  • Simple Projects and Inspiration for the Home

    by Dorothy Wood Subtle sophistication and country appeal are the hallmarks of Shaker home decor. Handmade Style: Shaker presents an assortment of easy-to-make decorative projects in the Shaker style, ranging from simpler crafts like an angel weather vane or monogrammed linen laundry bag to more ambitious ventures such as a Shaker quilt or knitted throw. Each project comes with step-by-step instructions, a complete list of materials, and instructive color photographs, making this crafts guide as practical as it is beautiful.   Chronicle Books, 112 pages paperback ISBN: 978-0811825689
  • And How to Use It

    by Harry C. Ramsower This classic guide presents practical information on virtually every aspect of farm equipment, machinery, and organization. Originally published in 1917, Handy Farm Equipment and How to Use It surveys every topic of importance to the challenge of equipping a successful and fully functional farm, including lighting the farm home, establishing sources of water, and arranging for sewage disposal for the farmhouse. Additional sections provide detailed discussions of such indispensable examples of farm equipment as tillage tools, seeding machinery, manure spreaders, grain binders, and corn harvesters. Fully illustrated throughout with drawings, diagrams, plans, and photographs, Handy Farm Equipment and How to Use It will prove as interesting to the current farmer for its still-prudent advice on the timeless problems of farm management as it will to the history buff who wishes to catch an image of what the American farm was like at the beginning of the twentieth century. It provides a lovely foray into the rich legacy of American agriculture and will appeal to anyone who has ever been interested in the nuts-and-bolts of farm life. Skyhorse Publishing, 344 pages, paperback ISBN: 9781626364103
  • How to Prepare the Soil, Choose Your Plants, Care For, Harvest, and Use Your Herbs

    by Melissa Snyder The consummate beginners guide for anyone interested in starting an herb garden. This book will explain, in simple terms, everything you need to know about choosing the site, preparing the soil, choosing the plants, caring for them, dealing with pests and diseases, and what to do with the harvest at the end of the summer. Included will be actual easy-to-follow garden plans, lots of helpful tips, expert advice, and useful figures.   Countryman Press, 272 pages ISBN: 978-1581573121  
  • Seasons at the Parris House by Elizabeth Miller Signed by the Author! Nearly twenty years ago Beth Miller moved with her husband and four young kids from suburban New Jersey to a 200-year-old Federal period house and barn in rural Maine. She didn’t garden, she didn’t keep chickens or bees, she didn’t know how to preserve food, and she didn’t know how to make soap or hook rugs. She embarked on a journey to learn these heritage skills that have been largely forgotten, and today she owns and operates Parris House Wool Works, a traditional rug-hooking company serving both crafters and end buyers. It is also a working village homestead and workshop where she practices and teaches heritage skills, including all aspects of gardening, beekeeping, rug hooking, preserving, and soap making. Seasons at the Parris House is separated into seasonal sections and includes historical context and homestead related activities for each season, plus instructions for a set of related projects and recipes. Elizabeth Miller went from doing market analysis and procurement with a major defense contractor to raising chickens, keeping bees, making soap, gardening and preserving, crafting artisan rugs, and teaching these skills to others from her small family homestead and studio. She is working toward an advanced degree in history as time allows and is also a Registered Maine Guide. She lives with her family in Paris, Maine. Beth teaches rug hooking workshops and with us here at Shaker Village and demonstrates at our annual events.  We are so very excited to carry her book!  Visit her and learn more at parrishousewoolworks.com   Down East Books Paperback, 336 pages ISBN: 978-1-60893-679-3
  • EDITED BY GLENDYNE R. WERGLAND AND CHRISTIAN GOODWILLIE Shaker Brother Isaac Newton Youngs served his community at New Lebanon, New York, as a tailor, clockmaker, mapmaker, mechanic, inventor, musician and hymn writer, lens-grinder, stonecutter, button maker, bookkeeper, journalist, tinsmith, printer, pipe fitter, joiner, and blacksmith. He built a sundial, made tools including a weaver’s reed, turned clothespins, made knitting needles, and laid floors. He was also an architect and roofer. Few aspects of life at New Lebanon were outside of Youngs’s sphere of activity. Therefore, it is fitting that he undertook to write a comprehensive history of his community, systematically treating all facets of Shaker life and culture. Youngs’s A Concise View Of the Church of God and of Christ, On Earth is printed here for the first time in unabridged form. The editors have carefully transcribed and annotated the text, and have selected illustrations to complement Youngs’s descriptive text. Additionally, appendices supplying vital statistics, and information on the occupations of New Lebanon Shakers (many of which were compiled by Youngs) are included. Finally, a selection of Youngs’s poetry rounds out a rich portrait of the lives and talents of Brother Isaac Newton Youngs, and his beloved Shaker brethren and sisters, as they labored humbly in the creation of a unique world where work was worship, and heaven was all around them. Shaker Studies, no. 12. 277 pages, 2017. ISBN: 978-1-937370-22-0 Couper Press Paperback
  • Holy Land by Sister R. Mildred Barker A 52 page booklet on the history of the Alfred, Maine Shakers.  Includes black and white photos.
  • 1001 Labor-Saving Devices for Farm, Garden, Dairy, and Workshop

    Skyhorse Publishing   The traditional American devices contained in this intriguing compilation date from an era long before milking machines, pesticide sprayers, and industrial hay bailers. Yet the simple inventions described for doing everything from managing young bulls to protecting drain outlets can be just as useful for today's farmer as they were for the homesteaders of over a century ago. Discover how to make such items as a movable nest for hens, a ribless boat, a contraption to extricate a mired animal, a farm cart with adjustable racks for larger loads, a wire fence tightener, a fruit picker, a grindstone set and frame, and much more. This book is a boon for the rancher, farmer, or anyone who loves the rural life.   Skyhorse Publishing, 640 pages, paperback ISBN: 9781602390188
  • by Michael Volmer Located thirty miles west of Boston, the town of Harvard was incorporated in 1732. With vintage photographs, some of which date from the 1860s, Harvard reflects on eighteenth- and nineteenth-century life, as well as the numerous political and spiritual philosophies that shaped the town. Shown are the Harvard Shaker community, the Alcotts' transcendentalist commune called Fruitlands, and Clara Endicott Sears, founder of Fruitlands Museums. Nostalgic scenes from the collection of local photographer William Wright capture an era of parades and picnics and community spirit. Arcadia Publishing, 128 pages.
  • By Thomas P. Blake and the New Gloucester Historical Society Named by the proprietors from Gloucester, Massachusetts, New Gloucester began as a frontier town, as it was the most inland settlement in Maine at the time. Incorporated in 1774, the town has been called home by such notables as mapmaker and author Moses Greenleaf, artist D. D. Coombs, original proprietor of the town of Foxcroft Joseph E. Foxcroft, traveling minister Ephraim Stinchfield, Abraham Lincoln's secretary of treasury William Pitt Fessenden, and abolitionist Samuel Fessenden. Shaker societies were set up in nine states, but the Sabbathday Lake Society, founded in 1783, is now the only active Shaker community remaining. With a long history of lumber mills and farms, New Gloucester is also home to Pineland Farms, the former site of the Maine Home for the Feeble-Minded, established in 1908, and now a renovated 19-building campus and 5,000-acre working farm. Arcadia Publishing, 128 pages.
  • By Bruce T. Marshall Shaker Heights achieved international renown in the early 20th century as an enclave for wealthy residents—a city of stunning homes, substantial green space, an excellent school system, and attentive municipal services. Cleveland entrepreneurs O. P. and M. J. Van Sweringen established Shaker Heights as a haven from the stresses of city life and claimed a connection with previous residents of this land, the North Union settlement of Shakers. Shaker communities sought to create paradise on earth by living communally and focusing on the life of the spirit. Buyers in Shaker Heights were assured that their paradise would last forever because of restrictions on what could be built and who could live there. Nevertheless, Shaker Heights has changed from a protected environment for the wealthy to a stable, integrated city that intentionally promotes diversity in its population. This is a remarkable story of dramatic change but also continuity as residents pursue the goal of creating an ideal community. Arcadia Publishing, 128 pages.
  • By James W. Hooper, Forewords by Larrie Curry of Pleasant Hill and Tommy Hines of South Union The Shaker Communities of Kentucky: Pleasant Hill and South Union presents the lives, struggles, and achievements of a remarkable people. The chronicle spans Shaker beginnings in England and relocation to America, the Great Awakening in America followed by the Kentucky Revival, Shaker beginnings in Kentucky, and the establishment of the South Union and Pleasant Hill Shaker villages. The Shaker central ministry sent missionaries to Kentucky from New York in 1805 after hearing about the Kentucky Revival, which culminated with the Cane Ridge Revival of 1801. Their efforts resulted in the establishment of villages in Kentucky, Ohio, and Indiana. Pleasant Hill and South Union were among the most successful and enduring of all the Shaker villages. This volume provides a striking visual portrayal of Shaker life by means of rare vintage images, including beliefs and worship, relationships with other believers and "the world," and their highly regarded workmanship. Gradual decline resulted in the closing of both villages, but restorations have turned both sites into popular destinations. Arcadia Publishing, 148 pages.
  • By Cheryl Bauer Founded in 1805, Union Village began as a religious and communal experiment. Eventually it became one of America's largest and most productive Shaker communities, its members achieving many firsts in education, equality, music, horticulture, and animal husbandry. Their unique faith influenced every aspect of their lives, from making furniture to raising children. They welcomed the leading figures of the period, including Native American chiefs, politicians, and abolitionists, while they continued to open other Shaker settlements in Ohio, Kentucky, Indiana, and Georgia. These vintage images—including many never published before—trace the Shakers' progress as they worked toward creating an earthly paradise. Although Union Village dissolved in 1912, some Shakers remained there for almost another decade. Today Union Village's heritage is still shared with the public at OtterbeinLebanon Retirement Community and in neighboring Lebanon. Arcadia Publishing, 128 pages.
  • Imagining the Shakers by Robert P. Emlen In the half century between 1830 and 1880 the visual culture of America's oldest, largest, and most distinctive communal religious society was portrayed in scores of printed images published in the popular illustrated press. In this complement to his 1987 book Shaker Village Views , Robert P. Emlen identifies and explicates every known engraving or lithograph that pictured the Shakers in the years of their greatest prosperity and before photography became popular in Shaker communities. Many of these images are reproduced here for the first time. Couper Press, Shaker Studies, no. 15. 338 pages, full color illustrations, 2019. ISBN: 978-1-937370-28-2
  • Life In the Christ Spirit by Brother Theodore E. Johnson The essence of Shaker beliefs and principles outlined in an easily understood manner. Essential reading. 12 page booklet on observations on Shaker theology from remarks delivered at the Shaker Conference in Hancock, Mass, Sept. 7, 1968.
  • Like the Willow Tree The Diary of Lydia Amelia Pierce, Portland, Maine, 1918 by Lois Lowry Historical fiction, recommended for grades 3-8 and a favorite recommendation of ours to all children visiting Sabbathday Lake. In 1918, as the Great War rages in Europe, the Spanish influenza tears a brutal path across the United States, leaving devastation in its wake. Ordinary life is turned upside down as schools are closed, and all spheres of public life are shut down.  Suddenly, eleven-year-old Lydia Pierce and her older brother, Daniel, find themselves orphans of the flu, and are taken by their grieving uncle to be raised in the Shaker community at Sabbathday Lake. Thrust into the Shaker's unfamiliar way of life, Lydia, a fiercely independent girl, must grapple with a new world that is nothing like the one she used to know. Lydia must work hard, and all the while she worries about her headstrong brother, who has run away. In time, and with her courageous spirit, Lydia learns to overcome the devastation wrought by the Spanish flu pandemic and find the joy in living with the Shakers -- yet she cannot stop wondering, will Daniel ever return? Newbery medalist Lois Lowry's poignant story of a girl living through the Spanish Influenza pandemic sadly seems more resonant than ever before. In the face of COVID-19, readers are sure to draw comfort from Lydia's sense of hopefulness. Now, with a brand new introduction from the author!   Scholastic 224 pages paperback ISBN 9781338724325  
  • A Treasury of Useful Plants for the Home and Garden by Jo Ann Gardner Every gardener will benefit from the author's intimate knowledge of herbs and their histories, growing needs, and uses in the kitchen and home. The wisdom she shares with vivid stories, a self-deprecating wit, and an infectious delight in the garden will be useful to herb growers living anywhere in the United States or Canada. Included in this practical guide is instruction on: -Planting, caring for, and propagating herbs indoors, outdoors, and in containers -Harvesting, drying, and preserving herbs, flowers, and seeds - Two dozen ways to use herbs in the home, from aromatherapy and infusions to vinegars and wreaths -Landscaping with herbs, with plans for a harvest bed, rose garden, and other themed gardens -The growing needs and unique uses of more than 90 herbs, along with favorite recipes Countryman Press, 288 pages, paperback ISBN 978-1581572292
  • by Ken Haedrich Maple Syrup Cookbook has convinced thousands of readers that maple syrup makes everything taste better. Now, the revised third edition of this classic cookbook features full-color photographs and a dozen of the author's favorite new recipes. In all, the book now offers more than 100 ways to enjoy maple syrup at every meal, including Buttermilk Corn Cakes, Banana Crapes with Maple Rum Sauce (perfect for brunch), Maple Cream Scones, Lacy Sweet-Potato Patties, Maple Bacon Strata, Curried Pumpkin-Apple Soup, Creamy Maple Fondue, Maple-Glazed Brussels Sprouts, Orange-Maple Wings, Beet and Pear Relish, Maple-Roasted Root Vegetables, Steamed Brown Bread, Maple Onion Marmalade, Hot & Spicy Shrimp Kabobs, Chicken with Maple-Mustard Glaze, and Crispy Maple Spareribs. There are barbecue sauces and salad dressings and dozens of tempting desserts, from Almond Bars and Coffee Chip Cookies to Maple Apple Pie, Maple Pecan Pie, Maple-Ginger Ice Cream, and much more. There's even a recipe for Maple Bread-and-Butter Pickles. This is a treasure chest of delightful recipes you'll turn to again and again.   Storey Publishing, 177 pages, paperback ISBN 978-1612126647
  • A Journey of Discovery   by Martha Boyce, Dale Covington, and Richard Spence   A collection of maps, histories, and general information of better known and lesser known Shaker sites in Kentucky, Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, and Michigan beginning in 1800.   Knot Garden Press, 140 pages, paperback ISBN: 978-0965501811
  • A Complete Guide for North American Herb Gardeners by Patricia Turcotte Practical, easy to use, and engagingly written, this book takes you through all stages of herb cultivation and use: Includes USDA Zones 3-6 Preparing the soil Starting and caring for seedlings Placement and garden design Theme gardens, from Native American to Shakespearean Caring for container gardens Using nature's helpers: bees, butterflies, and birds Processing herbs Herbal use in cooking, teas, scented and decorative crafts, cleaning Countryman Press, 254 pages, paperback ISBN 978-0881507126
  • The Beginner's Guide to Collecting Safe and Delicious Mushrooms

    By Alexander Schwab

    Is it safe or not? What gourmands and nature lovers need to know to harvest your own. Advice, with photographs, from an expert! Novices eager to collect tasty wild mushrooms will find this unique guide invaluable. Unlike others, it focuses only on those types that are both safe to eat and delicious. Most importantly, it presents the eight rules of mushroom gathering in a straightforward fashion, including, "Never, never take a mushroom with gills" and "If a mushroom smells rotten, it is rotten." Among the mushrooms covered are the cep; the red-cracked, larch, bay, and birch boletes; hen of the woods, chanterelle, trumpet chanterelle, hedgehog fungus, common puffball, horn of plenty, and cauliflower mushroom. Each is identified with several photographs and identification checklist, and there's also information on mushroom season, handling, storage, and cooking, complete with recipes.   Skyhorse Publishing, 128 pages ISBN: 9781602391604
  • A HANDY GUIDE TO CELIAC DISEASE - WITH ADVICE AND 80 RECIPES

    by Carlota Máñez   If you have celiac disease, you will know how difficult life without gluten can be. This book aims to help you live a gluten-free life in the simplest, most effective way. In the first part, you will learn all you need to know about gluten and celiac disease: how the disease is caused, how to recognize the symptoms, how to diagnose it, and how to treat it. This disease is one of the most habitual chronic illnesses worldwide, afflicting people of all ages, and its symptoms are varied. In the second part, No Gluten, No Problem teaches you how to prepare appetizing recipes for those afflicted with celiac disease. And if you’re someone who always eats out, advice is provided for when you go away on vacation or out to eat. You will learn which foods contain gluten, as well as dietary recommendations and natural ways to keep your health in order. In this complete manual, you will also discover: • Celiac disease: in-depth coverage • Gluten-free diet: control what you eat • Cooking for those afflicted: delicious, simple recipes • And much more!   Skyhorse Publishing, 160 pages, paperback ISBN: 9781632203267
  • The Best Way to Grow, Preserve, and Bake with Small Fruit

    by Jo Ann Gardner In this updated and full-color edition of Old-Fashioned Jams, Jellies, and Sweet Preserves, Jo Ann Gardner takes you back to the basics. This is a clear, concise horticultural and culinary reference book that concentrates on the small fruits, with a glance at tree fruits and wild fruits, too. It offers environmentally sound directions for growing and harvesting, as well as simple guidelines for canning and preserving. Moreover, it contains a treasure trove of seventy-five exciting recipes for preserving, baking, and cooking—unusual marmalades, for example, are coupled with English muffins. From gooseberries and elderberries to classic strawberries and rhubarb, Jo Ann has it covered! Whether an old hand or a novice, you’ll find Old-Fashioned Jams, Jellies, and Sweet Preserves enlightening and informative, not to mention delicious!   Skyhorse Publishing, 192 pages, paperback ISBN: 9781629145440
  • by Patricia Turcotte   This sensible, hands-on guide includes hundreds of practical tips and answers to commonly asked questions for the enthusiastic backyard gardener. Part One details how to evaluate and work with the soil, light, and moisture conditions in your backyard. Turcotte then introduces the principles of garden designthe use of line and form, light, color, and the placement of drifts and specific plantsto help you create a garden for every situation. A chart of flower colors and bloom times makes it easy to coordinate plant combinations for the most striking effect. Part Two profiles the 108 most popular backyard perennials, grouped by height and each accompanied by a color photograph and a description. Each profile also includes common and botanical names, family, hardiness zones, cultivation tips, bloom times, and interesting historical or mythological information. Now back in print with a beautiful new photographic cover, this book includes a practical and easy-to-use 48-page color insert guide to 108 popular perennials and biennials. Will appeal to both beginning and experienced gardeners. 108 color photographs, 28 black & white photographs, 24 b/w illustrations, 1 map, appendixes, index of plant names.   Countryman Press, 238 pages ISBN: 978-0881502817
  • A Tale of the Gilded Age, 1860-1900 by David L. Richards   Between 1860 and 1900 the Ricker family's rustic frontier farm became the world-renowned summer community of Poland Spring, Maine, a middle landscape where upper-middle-class patrons and their urban values of status, leisure, and consumption confronted, flirted with, embraced and ultimately subsumed traditional, rural New England. First and foremost a cultural study, Poland Spring chronicles the rise of a nineteenth-century tourist mecca. By successfully linking its fortunes to the railroad and tourism, Poland Spring became home to both a classic manifestation of the magnificent Victorian summer hotel culture of the Northeast, the Poland Spring House, and to the legendary business that originated one of the most popular and enduring brands in the mineral water marketplace, the eponymous Poland Spring. This complex story represents a fascinating microcosm of the blossoming of the vacation trade and tourism in nineteenth-century New England, the emergence of the "springs" phenomenon, the development of entrepreneurialism into corporate capitalism, and the extension into the rural Northeast of the modern values that still predominantly shape the American cultural landscape. Scholars interested in regional, business, and tourism history as well as modernist studies will find much to admire in this progressive cultural history of the Gilded Age, to which historian David Richards brings impeccable scholarship and an energetic narrative style.   University of New Hampshire Press, 316 pages, paperback ISBN: 978-1584654827
  • by Cindy A. Littlefield   Create a one-of-a-kind paper barnyard! Pop-Out & Paint Farm Animals offers 15 stand-up animal templates that kids ages 8 to 12 can pop out of the book, paint as they please, and customize with paper wings, yarn beards, and other unique touches. Children will enjoy hours of creative fun as they expand their crafting repertoire, learn about different animals, and fill their paper farm with cows, sheep, pigs, goats, ducks, chickens, and even a barn cat(!). Additional plans for building the barns and yards for your new pets are included!   Storey Publishing, 88 pages, paperback ISBN: 978-1612121390
  • Precepts of Mother Ann - Testimonies of the Life, Character, Revelations and Doctrines of Mother Ann Lee and the Elders with Her "Eye and ear witness of all that our blessed Mother and the first Elders have done and taught." Essential for Shaker studies. Second edition. 302 pages. Hard cover.
  • Can, Culture, Pickle, Freeze, Ferment, Dehydrate, Salt, Smoke, and Store Fruits, Vegetables, Meat, Milk, and More by Leda Meredith The ultimate guide to putting up food. How many ways can you preserve a strawberry? You can freeze it, dry it, pickle it, or can it. Milk gets cultured, or fermented, and is preserved as cheese or yogurt. Fish can be smoked, salted, dehydrated, and preserved in oil. Pork becomes jerky. Cucumbers become pickles. There is no end to the magic of food preservation, and in Preserving Everything, Leda Meredith leads readers, both newbies and old hands, in every sort of preservation technique imaginable. Countryman Press, 272 pages, paperback ISBN 978-1581572421
  • Delicious, Nourishing Food for Lifelong Health and Well-Being  by Brittany Wood Nickerson   Author and herbalist Brittany Wood Nickerson understands that food is our most powerful medicine. In Recipes from the Herbalist’s Kitchen she reveals how the kitchen can be a place of true awakening for the senses and spirit, as well as deep nourishment for the body. With in-depth profiles of favorite culinary herbs such as dill, sage, basil, and mint, Nickerson offers fascinating insights into the healing properties of each herb and then shares 110 original recipes for scrumptious snacks, entrées, drinks, and desserts that are specially designed to meet the body’s needs for comfort, nourishment, energy, and support through seasonal changes.   Storey Publishing, 312 pages ISBN: 9781612126906
  • Honoring the 250th anniversary of the Shakers' arrival in America and their enduring influence, and the United States Postal Service releasing the Shaker Design commemorative stamp sheet. This spiral-bound 9" x 6" book is printed full-color and is a limited-edition printing designed and published by The United Society of Shakers.  Includes never-before published historic photographs to illustrate the following chapters: -Official Stamp Brief, illustrated by Michael Graham with items from our collection -A Photoessay of Shaker Village, Sabbathday Lake, Maine by Michael Freeman (for 1987's Shaker Life, Work, and Art) -The Shakers and Their Post Office by Michael S. Graham, presenting research by Nancy L. George -A Brief History of the Post Office, Sabbathday Lake, Maine by Sister Eleanor M. Philbrook (for the Shaker Quarterly Spring 1964) 84 pages. Published July 2024, United Society of Shakers.
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