Treehouse Chronicles: One Man's Dream of Life Aloft

by S. Peter Lewis, T.B.R. Walsh

This is the story of what happens when big people decide to be kids again and they have tools and lumber. A beautifully written tale about building an elaborate two story treehouse in the Maine woods, Treehouse Chronicles is reflective and insightful, and carries the reader along as a dream is made real. We meet the author's family, and friends, and a squirrel with an attitude, and you will be captivated by this poignant and humorous story of process, a house is hung in the sky. Packed with over 180 spectacular photographs, evocative watercolors, and line drawings, this book is simply delightful. Once in a while, a great book will come along that takes your breath away. Treehouse Chronicles is one of those books. - Foreword By Anne LaBastille, ecologist, author and adjunct professor of natural resources, Cornell University. - Introduction by Tedd Benson, renowned timber frame builder, designer, and author. --- From the first page, readers will be captivated by the author’s charm and wit. Combined with Lewis’ exceptional writing and photographs and Walsh’s illustrations and watercolors, this beautifully done "coffee table book" is a rare find. With carefully chosen words and a self-deprecating sense of humor, Lewis tells the tale of a grown man eager to build a house in the sky. Beginning with his days in Colorado, Lewis shares with readers his journey back to Maine where he and his family settle into an old farmhouse, destined to enjoy the land and the history it offers. Upon their return to Maine, Lewis, and his family and friends participate in fulfilling Lewis’ dream of building a magnificent treehouse. Through journal entries, reflection, sketches, and illustrations, Lewis takes readers through the four-year process from beginning to end. As he shares his ideas, dreams, foibles, and follies, Lewis gives readers much more than a glance into his life during this time. He gives them the hope of a dream of their own, seen through his eyes. "Some people have laughed and chalked the whole thing up to some bizarre mid-life crises – something I had to get out of my system…I suppose I could analyze the thing to death, working under the assumption that there should be some deep meaning. But I won’t. Building this treehouse was just something I wanted to do and while doing it I discovered I was still just a little kid. That’s reason enough to hang a house in the sky." While many books claim to offer "something for everyone," Treehouse Chronicles can stand by this claim. For the nature lover, Lewis tells of forest creatures, farm animals, majestic trees, and crystal clear lakes and streams. For engineers and carpenters, he offers detailed insight into the plans for the treehouse from start to finish, explaining how the treehouse literally "hangs in the sky." Historians will enjoy Lewis’ description of his 185-year-old, hand-built home, the stone walls surrounding the property, and Lewis’ musings about how the property’s original settlers might have lived. From a more reflective, emotional perspective, the author lovingly examines his relationships with his family and friends. This passage offers a perfect example of Lewis’ admiration of his "Mom taught me to be amazed every day; Dad taught me how to fit stuff together. It was a magical combination – the treehouse was inevitable." Most likely, this magnificent book is not one that readers would knowingly search for online or seek out in a local bookstore. Rather it is more likely to be found by accident. Whether it is sought out or stumbled upon, this book will not disappoint. This fascinating collection of one man’s thoughts, ideas and dreams, wrapped in a beautifully illustrated package, is apt to inspire everyone who reads it. - Dana Blozis, ForeWordreviews.com

Genres: Nature

132 pages, Hardcover

First published September 5, 2005

Reviews

[Christine Mathieu · Rating 4 out of 5]

A lovely autobiography of a man who made his dream come true and built a treehouse in Maine.
Anne LaBastille wrote the introduction.
Highly recommended due to the beautiful photos and drawings.