Stories of Aroostook: The Best of Echoes Magazine

by Kathryn Olmstead

For nearly thirty years, Echoes magazine brought the culture, heritage, landscape, and people of Aroostook County to readers in Maine and across the United States. Publisher Kathryn Olmstead, who founded the magazine along with Gordon Hammond, once told a “In our experience, a place like Aroostook County is the kind of place most people can only imagine.” Olmstead and Hammond, both “from away” set out to share the experience of living in an area where people not only leave vehicles unattended and unlocked, but running in the winter to keep the engines warm. But what started as a portrait of a place, quickly evolved into a magazine with a mission—affirming the value of living simply with respect for nature, not as an escape, but as a way of life. Stories of Aroostook is a curated collection of articles and essays from the pages of the beloved quarterly magazine, all capturing the spirit and sense of place that makes Aroostook County unforgettable.

Genres: Nonfiction

239 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 10, 2020

Reviews

[Terry · Rating 4 out of 5]

This excellent book is an anthology of stories published in Echoes magazine over 50 years about the people of Aroostook County. As a Mainer living far from home, I was delighted with the beautiful images, tales and truths. The writers tell stories of a unique place, the County where life was challenging but beautiful, simple, and rewarding. Any person from any walk of life will enjoy these well-written stories that prove life can be very good in a tough place to live.

[Goose · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with any collection of essays, some you are going to enjoy more than others. Born and raised in Aroostook and always interested in history, I highly recommend this collection. Reading them all at once, they can sometimes be repetitive and I did skip a few. However, the good points far outweigh the blah. Sad that Echoes Magazine no longer exists.

[Kathryn Joy · Rating 5 out of 5]

Interesting stories from an old county magazine.

[Matt Heavner · Rating 4 out of 5]

great collection of stories from the county - really enjoyable read and lots of good memories and perspectives on life in northern Maine.