Off Shore

by Ruth Doan MacDougall, Ann Norton Holbrook (foreword)

OFF SHORE is the final title in the nine books of The Snowy Series, where the storylines encompass the years 1955 through 2009. Snowy and her dear friend Jean Pond Cram Hutchinson, nicknamed Puddles, share equally in this final adventure and bring along the many friends they've shared over all these years. Whether you're a devoted fan of The Snowy Series or a newcomer ready to be swept away, OFF SHORE promises a memorable tale of friendship, purpose, and shared experiences that bind across generations.

Kindle Edition

Published November 12, 2024

Reviews

[TJ · Rating 5 out of 5]

How awesome to be able to read about Snowy and the gang in their ‘old age’. I’ve read every single book since the first one.

[Jennifer Davis-Kay · Rating 4 out of 5]

"The Cheerleader" (the first book in The Snowy Series) is my all-time favorite adult novel, and because of that it's difficult for me to evaluate the final sequel, "Off Shore," with dispassion or equanimity. It's *so much more* than just a book to me: it's an ending! a door closing! a goodbye to friends who've lived in my head since I was 11 years old!

So: I can't give it five stars, even though I loved it, because I'm still left with so many questions and so much hunger for more! more! MORE! (and also because there wasn't enough Dudley, my favorite boy character) Which probably isn't fair to the book itself, I know . . .

Having said all that, there is so much to love here. I ADORED the grandmothers' pajama party and the chance to hang out with the junior high gang once again. Dotty Mooney is a hoot! I also loved how Snowy and Tom talked through their plans for their last home – and the location they ultimately chose made me laugh for a year!!!! I loved spending time inside Puddles's head – that character's exuberantly joyful approach to life is a sheer delight. I loved a very small, very sweet moment when Snowy confesses to Bev that she and Tom might need a one-story house, and Bev responds, "Yes, Puddles and I have worried about those stairs" – this quiet moment of three very old friends caring deeply about one another touched my heart to its core.

And above all I loved the very final scene and the surprise shout-out to Julia, who has emerged as one of my top-five favorite characters in the series.

These citizens of New Hampshire and Maine are as real to me as anyone else in my life, and I'm finding my goodbye to them almost unbearable – even though of course they will continue to live on in my mind.

"Off Shore" is a very fun read and a very nice wrapping up of a beloved series. Do I wish it could go on forever? Yes, a thousand times yes! But it is what it is. And what it is is pretty darned good.

[Jeanne Pivoris · Rating 3 out of 5]

I read "The Cheerleader" in the 1970s and enjoyed it so much I "forgot" to return it to the library. I was thrilled to discover the sequels. For me, all the characters were enjoyable...except for Bev. Nothing/No one was ever good enough for her. She always had a crisis. Her phone calls were blah, blah, blah, goodbye. It was all about her when Clem came into the picture. I can see why Leon chose to keep him a secret for two years.

We get almost an entire book about Roger's sister and her marital problems. She has never been mentioned in nine books, and all we get are a couple of paragraphs about Dudley's dementia? I am sorry to not be thrilled about the book, but Dudley has been around for all of those books, and his dementia and Charl's struggles with it are completely relatable to us in our 60s and 70s.

Then, to end the storyline, Snowy and Tom have a one-paragraph conversation about how they are going to spend their golden years, and Bev has pages of drama to close the door on the sequels. I thought the series was first and foremost about Snowy. It was a real let-down.

[Susan Beam-Gilleland · Rating 5 out of 5]

A good ending to this series. I read the first book after buying it in a second hand store and was glad when I heard about all the sequels...